Thank you to those who reviewed- your support is very much appreciated.

A/N: Some smut ahead.


Leah stared at the ceiling above her. She had long since memorised the various markings that spattered the white. Too many hours lost, staring, wondering if things were ever going to get easier.

She turned to her side and caught side of the alarm clock. She really needed to get up. Emily would be expecting her soon. Leah squeezed her eyes shut. What was she thinking when she agreed to be a bridesmaid. Had she really thought that she would have been able to get through this? Had there really been a time when she had thought herself that strong? She may have been, but not anymore. Now she needed to ask Jacob...

Leah groaned, throwing an arm over her eyes. It had been a couple of days since that meeting in the clearing and she had been avoiding him since. Her actions that day...for several moments she felt something other than the void that had been plaguing her since the day Sam told her he loved somebody else.

But were those moments worth what she had to face when she saw Jacob next? Leah knew that Jacob was the one person who could actually understand, who wouldn't judge. But that didn't mean he wouldn't greet her with a smug grin the next time they met. She could just picture his expression now...not that she could blame him. She would do the same thing, had she been on the receiving end.

XXXXXX

Jacob stepped out of his car and slammed the door shut. He appraised his surroundings. 'At least Sam and Emily went for a garden ceremony,' he thought. 'Less damage when Leah phases...'

He had timed his arrival well. The rest of the guests were already seated and Sam was standing at the end of the short aisle. Jacob nodded in his direction as he took a seat.

After a few moments, the strains of the Bridal March filled the air. Jacob turned in his seat, and saw Leah waiting to take her first steps. Once glance at her and his mind went back to that moment in the clearing. Even though he knew why she acted the way she did, he could not help grinning at her as she started to walk. As Leah walked passed him, he gave her an exaggerated wink. Her eyes narrowed and with a quiet chuckle, he settled himself back into his seat to watch the ceremony.

XXXXXX

Leah felt her throat dangerously tighten when she saw the look in Sam's eyes as she walked down the aisle. It was the way he used to look at her. But this look was not for her. It was aimed beyond her, at the bride waiting to make her way to her groom. A look between two people who were going to spend the rest of their lives together.

She stopped at the altar and took her place. A familiar feeling emerging in her stomach. Leah took a deep breath. She was going to get through this.

But then the celebrant started talking. Talking about the love of the two people in front of her. Talking about the future that they would have together. And throughout it all, Sam and Emily just stared into one another's eyes- never breaking. From her position, Leah could look squarely at Sam's face, at the expression of pure joy that etched his face.

And then that was when it hit her. She had been wrong before. He had never looked at her like that. In all their time together, with all the times that he claimed to have loved her, he never once looked upon her with the gaze he was basking on Emily now.

Leah's fists tightened around her bouquet as her stomach churned. She felt a familiar quivering from within her. Why had Emily asked her to be a part of this day? Why had they wanted to subject her to this?

Her skin began to prickle, and Leah knew what was about to happen. And so, as the celebrant turned to Sam, asking to him to begin his vows, Leah turned and walked away.

XXXXXX

"Shit," Jacob muttered softly, as Leah ran off through the trees. He rose immediately, making to follow her. Behind him, he heard mumblings of surprise from the rest of the guests, and then the celebrant clearing her throat and continuing with the ceremony.

He ran fast, unbuttoning his shirt to prepare for a phase, his instincts telling him exactly where Leah had headed.

When he arrived at the clearing he saw that she was there, her bouquet in tatters, petals surrounding her. Her hair, which had been immaculate for the ceremony, looked as if it had been clawed from its style and she was still trembling. Jacob was amazed. He had thought for sure she would have phased by now

"Oh, fantastic" Leah let out, sounding as if she were trying to hold back sobs. "What are you doing here?"

"I—"

"Come to see the show? Come to witness Leah losing it?" she demanded, whirling around. "Did you ever consider the fact that I don't want you to see me like this? That I don't want anybody to see me like this?"

"Did you forget the plea for help you made," Jacob snapped back. "If I remember, we were here and it was right after you—"

"I asked you to watch me during the ceremony. I was able to get myself out and I don't need your help anymore."

Jacob could feel bubbles of anger rising inside. "Well, unfortunately for you, your Alpha is slightly concerned. I can see you struggling, Leah, and that wedding party is not all that far away when you consider the speed of a wolf."

Leah's eyes narrowed. "Do you seriously think that I would hurt those people?"

"What I think is that you need somebody here with you. I know what it is like to lose control, Leah. It wasn't all that long ago that I was at Bella's wedding reception."

Leah stared at him. "I don't need understanding, Jake."

"Then what do you want, Leah?" he demanded. "Because, believe it or not, I am not a friggin mind reader."

"I want you to feel as angry as me. I want you to hate. What were you thinking during that ceremony? I could see everybody's adoring eyes and I just wanted to scream. I wanted everybody to know that Sam is not as perfect as he seems to be. I wanted to tell everybody that he gave her those scars, just so they could realise that I am not the only bad guy in this situation." She paused, taking in Jacob's expression. "And don't give me the whole spiel on imprinting. I have heard it too many times and I am sick of it. I don't care that Sam couldn't help it. He left me for another woman and I deserve more than that."

"Leah," Jacob started. "You need to start moving on."

Leah let out a sharp laugh. "And how do you propose I do that, oh mighty one of wisdom?"

"Leah—"

"No, please offer up your advice, thy Alpha. You have so much experience with moving on." Her tone was taunting.

"Shut up."

"Tell me," she asked, stepping up closer to him. "How often does Bella cloud your dreams? Are you still consumed by her scent? Does her touch give you that feeling—" she jabbed him in the stomach, "—right there. Did you still hold out that sliver of hope that one day she will come to her senses and love you?"

"I am not going to buy into your mind games, Leah," Jacob said through gritted teeth.

She was right in front of him now, and brought her face close to his. "They don't sleep, you know. How do you think they spend those long nights? With their darling daughter all tucked snug in her cot, it would be just the two of them. She's a good sleeper, you know. Seth told me. Makes it through the whole night without a peep. How many hours is that, you think?"

Jacob snapped, grabbing Leah's shoulders roughly. "Stop trying, Leah. You are not going to bring me down to your level."

"I don't have to," she yelled. "Don't you get it? You are at my level. You feel everything I do- the anger, the hate...you just keep it repressed like some sick dog."

"Give it up, Leah."

"She doesn't love you."

"Stop."

"She loves it. She always has."

"Don't."

"You're not enough for her. You never have been enough for her. When are you going to realise that and react to it? When are you going to start making some damn noise, Jacob?"

"Shut up Leah."

"Make me."

"Fine." With an almost growl Jacob abruptly jerked her upwards, forcing his lips onto hers. She was shocked, but offered no resistance as his tongue pushed its way through her lips. She reached up, grabbing his hair in tight fists, as their tongues curled, almost brutally, around each other.

For the first time in a long time, Leah's mind was completely clouded. She could think or feel of nothing, except Jacob's tight grip, and his hot breath mingling with her own. Instinctively, she brought her hands down to his shirt. The top half of his buttons were already undone, but she was too impatient to complete task. With a quick movement, she ripped the shirt off, pulling it back. It forced his hands to release their grip, and pinned them behind him.

Jacob tore his lips from hers. "What..." he trailed off, breathing heavily, as she placed her lips on his neck and sucking lightly, before making a trail with her tongue down his bare chest. He closed his eyes, allowing the sensation of her wet and heated tongue on his skin to overtake him. "You know...I think I can get used to you not talking, Leah."

He expected some sort of verbal response, not her sinking her teeth into his skin. With a yelp, he ripped his arms out of her grip. "Never took you for a bloodsucker, Leah," he murmured, bringing his lips down to her throat and sucking slightly. Leah stood there silently, allowing him to do this. "Never thought that you would be into that sort of activity," he added, wanting to push her further.

He succeeded. As his teeth grazed against his skin, Leah placed her hands on his chest and shoved his back hard. He fell to the ground, a grin on his face. "Now what was that for?"

Leah moved above him. "You ever call me a bloodsucker again and I will fucking kill you," she said, positioning herself so that she was straddled across him. "And besides, I don't remember there being any sucking involved," she added, bringing her mouth back down to his nipple and sinking her teeth in hard.

Jacob howled at the sensation of both pleasure and pain. He grabbed her face with his two hands and pulled her up to meet his own. "Let's keep that mouth up here...for now," he muttered, crushing his lips against her. At the feeling of his tongue, Leah moaned. She could feel him, hard as a rock underneath her and she could not help but thrust her hips against him, again and again.

His hands moved from her face, to her chest. She felt a heated hand cup her breast. "Jake," she breathed, as she trailed her lips up and down his jaw line. His thumb and forefinger pinched her nipple through her dress and Leah felt a deep jolt from within. She wrenched herself upwards, pulling off her dress. She wanted to feel it all, not through the material of that dreaded dress.

She looked down at Jacob and she reached around her back to unclasp her bra. He was breathing heavily and his pupils were dilated. Looking directly into his eyes, she pushed her core, hard, down onto his as she pulled off her bra.

With a groan of pleasure, Jacob sat up, keeping her in his lap. "A present that unwraps itself," he said, before bring his mouth her breast. Leah gasped as his tongue circled one of her nipples. She brought her hands up to the back of his head, grabbing his head and holding him in place. "Yes," she breathed as he began to suck, lightly at first, but soon harder. "Jake...yes...don't—" she broke off with a cry as hit bit down hard on her flesh. She pulled back, and looked down at his face. "What?"

"Payback," he said with a shrug and then pushed her so that she was lying flat on her back. For a fleeting second she thought of the times she had spent with Sam. They had been nothing like this. This was so...rough...and fast...and so much damn fun. Shaking those thoughts away, Leah reached up and grabbed his arm, pulling him down on top of her. She couldn't help but moan as she felt him land between her legs.

He noticed, and pushed himself down harder on her. "You like that?" he asked, moving his hips slightly to cause a friction between the two of them. "You want some more?"

"Shut up, Jake," she demanded, pulling his face down to hers so that she could kiss him hungrily. She broke away for a second. "I think we agree that we work better when not talking." His hands found their way back to her breasts, but they did not stop there. His fingers trailed their way down her stomach, stopping at the waistband of her underwear. There they stopped, fingering and flicking the elastic. Leah brought her hips up to him, an impatient gesture telling him to keep going. But they didn't. Instead, his fingers started back up stomach, going back they way they came.

"Oh no, you fucking don't," Leah said through gritted teeth. She grabbed his hand, forcing it back on herself. "Finish what you started."

Jacob grinned. "I thought we worked better when not talking," he said, dipping his fingers under the elastic and removing them immediately.

Leah brought a hand up to his throat. "Keep teasing and talking won't even be an option."

"Ok," Jacob agreed with a laugh. "But first there is something I need to take care of." With that he yanked her underwear down, pulling them right off. For a moment, Leah felt too exposed. She was lying here naked and he was still almost fully clothed. But that feeling dissipated as soon as his lips pushed into hers and she felt his fingers graze her hip bone.

Jacob moved his hand down, pressing his fingers into her slick folds. She moaned and he continued exploring, circling his index finger around her entrance and bud. It was so hot and wet. "You feel fucking amazing," he murmured into her ear, before plunging a finger deep into her.

"Oh...god..." she groaned, as he pulled it out. He entered her again, this time with two fingers. In and out, in and out, his thumb rubbing her increasingly sensitive bud. "Jacob..." She bucked her hips, feeling the pleasure build and build inside of her. With a jolt, her eyes flew open. She wanted more. She wanted to feel all of him bring her over the edge.

"What are you doing?" Jacob asked, bewildered, as she pulled his hand out of her and reached for his belt. Within seconds she had it undone. She sat up, reaching for his fly. When both his pants and underwear were removed, Leah pushed him backwards, so that he was sitting, his back against and tree. She straddled him, moving herself down slightly, so that her entrance was just touching his tip.

"I want all of you Jacob, not just your fucking fingers," she said, lowering herself more. Jacob's eyes widened as he felt her engulfing him. Her heat, her wetness. He could not believe this was happening.

"This is fucking unbelievable," he said, grinning up at her and bucking his hips. With that Leah began to move, up and down, hard and fast. "God...Leah, yes...don't..."

She grabbed a fistful of his hair, pushing his face down to her chest. His lips encircled one of her breasts, sucking the nipple hard. She continued to move on top of him, and his own hands moved to her hips, gripping her tightly and bringing her down harder each time.

"Jake...Jacob...oh, Jake," Leah panted. Her mind was swimming. His lips sucking relentlessly, combined with his hard heat inside of her was bringing her to the brink quickly. "Jake, I'm gonna—"

"Shut up," he growled against her breast, and that was all it took. With a loud cry, she felt the sensation inside completely overtake her. She brought herself down onto Jacob one last time, and felt him explode inside of her, her own climax initiating his.

"Oh, fuck," Leah gasped, collapsing against his chest, which was sticky with sweat. Her skin felt the same way.

"Ditto," Jacob mumbled. The two stayed like that for several moments, taking in what had just happened. And it was then that reality started to set in.

Their moment together was over.

Now what?