CHAPTER 63

Leah POV:

I closed the restaurant door behind me and walked out into the night toward my Jeep. I stayed a little late to close out the cash drawer for Lucy, who usually does it, but had to go home early tonight because she didn't feel well. I felt like I was dragging my ass behind me as I walked toward my car. I was really beat. Running a patrol then coming in and spending six hours on my feet, was a bit much.

I turned the corner to where I parked the Jeep and felt someone grab my arm! "Hello, Leah," I heard as I whipped around. "Josiah? What are you doing here?" It was Josiah alright, but he looked a lot different from the last time I saw him. His hair was long and dirty, he had a scraggly beard and his clothes were wrinkled.

He smiled at me then put his arms around me and pulled me close. "God, I missed you so much, Leah. It's so good to see you!"

I gave him a small hug then tried to step back. He held on tight and I started to really feel uncomfortable. I looked around and noticed the street was pretty dead at this time on a Sunday night. "Josiah, please," I said as I again tried to step back. This time he let me.

"Wow, you look so beautiful! Your hair is longer," he said as he ran his hand through my hair.

"Um, yea. So, aren't you supposed to be at the rez up north? " I asked as I took another step back.

His smile disappeared and his eyes shifted a little. "I hated there, Leah. It was . . . horrible. I couldn't stay."

"When did you leave?"

"What day is it now?"

"Sunday."

"Um, I think I left on Wednesday, maybe. I don't know. I kind of phased in and out." It dawned on me that Josiah could have been the one that hurt Josh. Did they do that to each other? "Does your brother know you're back?" I asked.

He looked down. "No. I came right here to see you." He looked back up at me. "You're the only one that cares, Leah. He doesn't care about me." He reached down and grabbed my hand.

"I'm sure he does. Maybe you should call him," I suggested.

"No!" he yelled. "He'll make me go back." He started shaking his head back and forth as he said, "I'm not going back there. I won't!"

He squeezed my hand and I decided I better come up with a plan and quick. I wasn't sure if he would phase, or if he would try to kidnap me again. I said as I reached for my purse, "I better call my mom. She'll worry if I'm not home on time." I pulled out my phone. He eyed me warily. "Then I can talk to you, OK?" He finally nodded, and I pressed the button for Embry. Please God, let him pick up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Mom. I just wanted to let you know that I'll be a little late. I ran into an OLD friend from UP NORTH and I am going to talk to him for a little bit, OK?"

"Leah? What the hell? This is Embry."

"Yea, I know. I won't be long. I'm still here in town. OK?"

"You're trying to tell me something."

"Yes! I gotta go. Bye." Please, Embry, think about it and decide to come over here and investigate. "Sorry about that," I said to Josiah. "Since my dad died, she worries about me and Seth more."

"I get that," he said. He was pacing a little, like he couldn't stand still. He was really worked up. "Josiah? What's wrong?" I had to keep him talking.

"What's wrong? Are you fucking serious? Leah, I have just spent months in Hell! Never knowing from one day to the next if I was a wolf or a man. It's like living in a nightmare! The only thing that kept me going was thinking about you."

He put his hands on my upper arms and looked into my eyes. I backed up a little, but he tightened his grip on me and the next thing I knew his lips were grinding against mine. I put my hands on his chest and shoved as hard as I could and he stumbled back. "Stop it! I didn't say you could kiss me," I said to him angrily. I wiped my lips with the back of my hand.

"Leah, please. It's all I've been thinking about for months. That kiss we shared right before I left. I know you care about me. I could feel it when you kissed me. Please, I'm sorry I was so rough. It's just that it's been so long since I've felt human." He stepped close to me again and reached for me and I jumped back.

"No, Josiah. I'm sorry, but I'm engaged . . . to Embry. Remember, I told you that I love Embry. Well, he proposed and I said yes." I held out my hand to show him the ring.

I could see anger creep into his eyes at that bit of news. "Leah, how could you? How could you do that to me? You're supposed to be mine," he said angrily.

"Why would you think that? I never gave you any . . ."

"Yes you did!" he yelled. "You were so kind to me when I first found out what kind of fucking monster I had become. You showed me kindness and you cared about me. And every time we talked, you acted like you understood how scared I was. I told you about this connection I feel to you . . . and you let me hug you and kiss you. You had to know how I felt about you!" He grabbed me and kissed me again. "I love you, Leah. I need you." He tried to kiss me again and I slapped him across the face.

"Stop it, Josiah! Yes, I showed you kindness and I told you I cared about you, but AS A FRIEND! I told you that I loved Embry. You know that. Do not try and kiss me again!" I was angry and I knew that I could phase and take him out. I didn't want to hurt him, but I would if I had to.

Rage crept into his face. Before I realized what he was thinking, he whipped me around so that my back was against his chest, then with one arm around my chest and one around my throat, he squeezed me so tightly to him that I couldn't breathe. "You're mine, Leah. Do you hear me? Mine!" he hissed into my ear. That's the last thing I heard before everything went black.

Embry POV:

What the hell was that all about? Why would she call me and pretend she was talking to her mom? I sat there staring at the phone wondering what she was trying to tell me. She ran into a friend? I knew all of her friends. Why didn't she just say who it was? An old friend from up north . . . Josiah! Pain shot through me as I remembered walking into her house to find them kissing. How it almost broke us up. Why would she call me, pretending to talk to her mom, to let me know . . . she was scared and she didn't want him to know that she was calling me. Oh God. She wanted me to come and help.

I jumped off of the couch and headed to Mom and Dad's room. I knocked and heard Dad say, "Come in."

I opened the door and said, "Leah just called. She's in trouble and I have to go and help. It's Josiah."

Dad looked surprised at that. "He's here?"

"Yes. I have to go. I have no idea when I'll be home."

"Go! But be careful!" he called after me. I flew through the living room and out the door. I ran into the woods and striped off my shorts. She said she was still in town. He must have met her outside the restaurant when she got off of work. I ran and phased on the fly. I just hoped I could get there before he did something stupid like try to kidnap her again.

I ran into the small downtown area, which wasn't too far from my house. I stopped behind the gas station and peered around. I didn't see anyone in front of the restaurant. I phased back into human form and slipped on my shorts. I ran across the street to the restaurant. It was locked up and the lights were off. I didn't see anyone inside. I walked down the street and around the corner and saw Leah's Jeep. I jogged over and found her purse laying on the sidewalk next to the car. Her cell phone was on top. Shit! He took her! Damnit all to Hell!

I grabbed her cell phone and dialed Sam. "Yea," he answered.

"Sam! Josiah has Leah . . . again! She called me just a few minutes ago with some coded message. By the time I figured out she was talking about Josiah and got here, she was gone." I told him how I found her purse laying on the sidewalk next to the Jeep, with her cell phone.

"Shit! I'll put out the call and we'll search the area. You follow the trail from town. I'll send Seth to find you. Go!"

I picked up Leah's keys, unlocked the Jeep and threw her stuff inside. Then I ran for the woods so I could phase and find a trail. As soon as I was in my wolf body, I put my nose to the ground and picked up a scent. Where would he take her? I thought about the cave where he had taken Abby, and the barn where he had taken Leah before. The trail wasn't heading in that direction. It wasn't long before Seth found me.

"I found a scent. I've been following it." Seth fell into step beside me and we followed the trail as it led us through the woods. I wondered if he was heading for the Makah Reservation. Would he be taking her back to his farm? Then I heard something, so I slowed up and hid behind some bushes. Seth stopped beside me. We peered through the brush to see Josiah lay Leah down on the ground. He leaned down over her and carefully brushed her hair away from her face then he grazed her forehead with his lips. I wanted to rush him and kill him right then, but he was too close to Leah. I didn't want her to get hurt. So, I waited and watched.

"Leah, I'm sorry. I just needed to be alone with you. Just for a little bit," Josiah said to her. He sat down and gathered her into his arms. Seth nudged me. "We have to wait, dude. I don't want her hurt."

"How long do we wait? I don't want this creep touching her!"

"Neither do I. It's killing me right now."

Josiah was combing his fingers through her hair. It was almost like she was a doll, or something. He was just holding her and rocking back and forth. It was pathetic. Then he looked down at her and kissed her on the lips. His hand moved to her shirt and slipped inside. Rage ran through me at lightning speed! Just as Seth and I were ready to pounce, Leah grabbed his hand and threw it off of her and jumped up. That's when Seth and I made our move.

We burst through the brush, growling and snarling and I ran right for him. I knocked him back and stood over him with one of my huge paws on his chest. He was looking up at me like some scared little boy. I heard Leah say, "Bout time you got here." Seth went to stand beside her.

Josiah looked up at me and said, "Do it. Just kill me and end this miserable fucking life of mine. I can't take it anymore. If I can't have Leah, there's no reason to live." He closed his eyes and just laid there. I stood over him and wanted to kill him. I was sick of him and I knew we would always have to worry about him coming back for Leah. But, I couldn't do it. I wanted to, but with him just laying there, it didn't seem right. I backed off and went to stand on the other side of Leah. He opened his eyes and just looked at the three of us.

Then he stood up and shouted at me, "What? You can't kill me? What kind of pussy werewolf are you? I stole your girl and I would have fucked her if you hadn't come to her rescue! It's all I've been thinking about for months. How she would feel under me. Come on, Embry. Give me your worst!"

I was shaking. Leah had her hand in the fur at my neck. I knew she could feel the rage running through me. I knew he was just provoking me to get me to kill him. God, he was so pathetic. I wanted to tell him that. Tell him what I thought of him. So, I stepped back away from Leah and phased into human form and stood up to him. "If you want to die so damn bad, you'll have to do it yourself, you fucking coward. But you will never touch Leah again, do you understand? You touch her again, and I will kill you. And I will enjoy it."

He smiled then. A crazed smile. "You think I'm a coward? You have no fucking idea the hellish life I live. I've tried to find a way to get used to it, but it's impossible. I don't want to live like an animal. Waking up naked somewhere covered in bites, and bruises, sometimes broken bones, and I have no fucking idea what happened to me. He squeezed his eyes shut and said slowly, "Always having the taste of blood on my tongue, and in my nose."

I glanced at Leah. She was staring at him. I said quietly, "Don't do it, Leah. Don't feel sorry for him."

"I know, but I can't help it. I keep thinking about your dad," she replied.

My dad. My dad. Could he be the one that hurt my dad? "Damnit"!I looked at Josiah and said, "You've been here for a couple of days, haven't you? You came here as a werewolf, and I'll be you were the one that hurt my dad."

"What? I came here for Leah," he answered.

"But you don't remember, do you? Neither does he. But he's home right now with his leg in pieces because of you. I would bet money on it."

He just kept staring at Leah and it was really creeping me out. I had no idea what to do with him. Maybe I should just kill him and get it over with. Then Leah took a step toward him. "Josiah? I'm sorry that you have to live like that, I really am," she said to him. "But, I can't love you. As much as you want that, it's never going to happen. I am going to marry Embry."

I could see the pain in his eyes as she talked. "Josiah, listen to me," she said as she walked closer to him. "Josh got through this and so will you. He spent nine years living up there. But while he was there, he learned to listen to his body, and know when he was going to phase. He found a way to live with it and so can you. Now he lives here with us, and he is married and expecting a child in June. Someday, you can have that, too."

She reached out and touched his face as a tear rolled down his cheek. "But not with you," he said.

She shook her head and said, "No, I'm sorry. It can't be with me. But there is someone out there for you. I know there is. And you'll find her and forget all about me."

"I don't know how I could ever forget about you, Leah." She allowed him to pull her close to him. My hands flexed into fists. I wanted to kick the shit out of him right now. Then he looked at me over Leah's shoulder . . . and smiled. He let his hand run down her back and lay on her ass. That was enough for me. I rushed at them and he pushed Leah out of the way to meet me head on. We hit the ground and rolled. I could hear Seth growling and I knew he wanted to jump in, but he stayed still for now.

I got one good punch in before Josiah rolled on top of me and looked down at me. He had his hand on my throat and I was struggling to breath. "Instead of you killing me, why don't I kill you? Then Leah would be mine. You are the only thing standing in our way."

I struggled trying to get enough air in my lungs to move. His eyes were crazed and he was staring at me as he squeezed. Just then, a wolf came flying over us, knocking him off of me. As I struggled for air, I looked to see it was Leah that had saved me. She was on top of him, holding him down and snarling. Seth was right beside her. I got up and staggered my way over to them. I looked down at Josiah and said, "Apparently, I'm not the only thing standing in your way. I think Leah has something to say about it, too."

Leah looked at me and I could see her smiling at me with her eyes. Josiah just lay there. He knew he had nothing now. Leah backed off and I grabbed Josiah and pulled him up onto his feet. Then I punched him in the gut and he bent over and cried out. "That's for almost killing me." He made the mistake of standing up and looking at me. Then I kneed him hard in the crotch and he crumpled to the ground, moaning. "And that is for touching Leah." He rolled to his side in a fetal position, holding his balls. "You will NEVER touch her again."

I looked at Leah and said, "Sorry, babe, but you're mine and I am the only one that is allowed to grab your ass." Seth must have said something to Leah because she nodded to him and he ran off into the woods. I realized he must have heard Sam. I smiled and put my hand into her fur. I had turned my back to Josiah, which I should have learned is a mistake. I seem to recall Jasper telling us that when he was teaching us to fight the newborns. "Never turn your back on your enemy." I should have listened closer.

Josiah kicked out his leg and knocked me off of my feet then he grabbed my shoulders and pinned me to the ground. "I hate you, Embry ," he hissed into my face. "I will have my revenge on you. " Then he stood up and looked at Leah for a fleeting second before he ran. Leah just stood there. I looked up at her and said, "Why are you just standing there? Run! You're faster than he is. You could catch him!" But she didn't move.

I jumped up and said, "Damnit, Leah! He will always be out there, always coming for you! Don't you get that? I should have killed him when I had the chance. SHIT!" I turned to run after him and I heard the crackle in the air as she phased back to her human self. I turned to see her standing there, beautifully naked as she said, "Please, Embry. Let him go. He should have a chance at life, like your dad did."

I walked over to her and yelled, "What the hell is wrong with you? He would have raped you if we hadn't found you. He admitted to that. He's been thinking about fucking you for months, did you not hear that? Leah, he will come back for you. He just told me he would have his revenge on me. We can't let him go."

I could see tears in her eyes. "I know, but I just can't see us killing him. It's not right. I'm sorry."

I sighed and pulled her to me. "Leah, baby, you make me crazy. Why do you have to have such a good heart?"

I could hear her laugh into my shoulder. "I don't know. It's a curse, I guess."

"Right now, it really is." I held her close to me for awhile then I pulled away to look at her. "Where are your clothes?" I asked.

She smiled at me sheepishly. "Um, all over the ground . . . in pieces." I laughed at that. She had been in a hurry to save me, and she phased through her clothes. "Seth will be back here any minute with Sam and Paul. I need to phase back."

I nodded and stepped back. She took a few steps and phased. I smiled and did the same. We could hear Seth and Sam and Paul. They were almost here. "You have to be the one to tell them, Leah. I want Sam to be pissed at you, not me."

"Tell me what? What will I be pissed about?" Sam threw in.

"I let him go."

"Leah? What the hell?" Just then they burst into the clearing. "Embry, which way did he go? Maybe we can still catch him."

"He ran to the east. He has about a five minute head start on you." Sam and Paul ran off in the same direction as Josiah. Seth stood with us.

"Leah, why would you let him go? He'll keep coming back for you, don't you get that?"

"Yes, Seth, I get that. But, I just didn't want to see him killed because of me. It's not right. He deserves a chance to figure things out like Josh did."

"Damnit! I'm going with them, Leah. And I hope we catch him." He ran off to join Sam and Paul.

"What about you? Are you going off to hunt him down, too?"

"No. I'm taking you home and staying with you to keep you safe. Let's go."

"Good idea, bro. Don't let her out of your sight!" Sam interjected.

"Oh I won't. Believe me." I nudged Leah and we turned to run toward home.

We stopped at the back of her house. She phased back into human form and so did I. She stood there and looked at me. "I know you're really pissed at me, but I believe I did the right thing."

I stepped up to her and said, "I'm not so sure of that, but I understand why you think it is. I hate that I had the moment, and I blew it. I should have killed him, Leah. I'm convinced that he will never give up on you." She looked up at me and I took her face into my hands. "I can't stand the thought of him . . . touching you. Or taking you away from me. You are mine, Leah. You belong to me now, and I belong to you. Nothing, or no one, will ever change that." I looked down at her lips and knew that the taste of his lips was still there. I crushed my lips to hers to take it away. Then I remembered how his hand had slipped inside her shirt and my hand moved up to her breast to wipe his touch away. I then ran my hands down her body and around to her ass, the last place he had touched her, and I took that memory away as I grabbed it and pressed myself into her and she moaned.

I had this primal need to mark her somehow, to claim her and make her completely mine. As I kissed her, I ran my hands over her body. "Leah, I need to take his scent from you. I need to make you mine. Now." I laid her down right there behind her house and staked my claim on her. It was very intense and shook both of us. And when it was over and we stared into each other's eyes, I knew we had a bond that could never be broken. We belonged only to each other . . . forever.

I walked her to the back door of her house and said, "Leah, please go inside and go to bed and stay there. I need to find out what's going on. I'm going to phase and find out and if there is anything to tell you, I will come inside and let you know, OK?"

She nodded. "I'm sorry, Embry."

I smiled at her. "I know, baby. I just want you to be safe." I kissed her gently on the lips and opened the back door for her. She looked at me and touched my lips with her finger then she walked inside and shut the door.

I turned and phased back into wolf form and tried to pick up what was going on. "Sam! Did you find him?"

"Where have you been? I've been trying to talk to you for awhile now!"

"Sorry, we phased to talk and I sent Leah inside to bed. I'm in her back yard now keeping watch. What the hell is going on?"

"We found him and kicked the shit out of him. I'm just not sure what to do with him now."

"Is he still alive?"

"Yea. He's pretty beat up though. I figured it was payback for what he did to Dad."

"I don't know, Sam. I wished I would have killed him when I had the chance, but Leah does not want him killed because of her so I can't make that decision. But I'm afraid he'll never give up on her. He told me tonight that he hated me and he would have his revenge on me. You're the Alpha, bro. It's your call."

"Alright. Against my better judgment, I will honor Leah's wishes and not kill him. We'll take him home and let his brother know that if he ever crosses onto our land again, or seeks Leah out when she is off of our land, we will kill him. Three strikes and you're out."

"OK. I'll tell Leah. Thanks, man. I think he's getting off way too easy."

"Me, too."

I phased and pulled on my shorts then I walked over to the back door and quietly let myself in. I snuck up the stairs and opened Leah's bedroom door then closed it behind me. She was in bed, but not sleeping. She sat up when I walked in. I sat beside her and told her what Sam had told me.

"Thank you. I know that wasn't an easy decision for either of you."

"No, Leah, it wasn't. We care about you, not him. If he ever tries to contact you again, he's dead. Period."

She nodded and settled back against the pillows. "I don't know how I'll get to sleep tonight. I keep seeing his face. He's so tortured and I just wish there was something I could do to help him."

"Leah, why do you feel so sorry for this guy? Do you really not get that he is obsessed with you? That he will do anything to have you?"

"Yes, I get that. But, I don't know. Maybe he's right about there being some sort of connection between us. Because no matter what he does, I always come back to feeling bad for him. And . . . caring about him. Not romantically, Embry. I have no desire to be with him that way. When he kisses me, I don't feel anything buy pity for him. But . . . I don't know. I know I should hate him, but for some reason, I can't. I don't get it. I'm kind of afraid it's because he imprinted on me."

"What?"

"Yea, I've been thinking that for awhile. After he came here before he left to go north. I kept getting that feeling. But, I don't love him. It's not like Rachel or Kim . . . I don't have this intense desire to be with him romantically or sexually. It's like this intense feeling of friendship. I don't know . . . it's just so weird. But maybe that's why he feels he can't give up on me. Because of imprinting?"

It was an interesting theory, but if it was an imprint, then why didn't she love him back? "But, with an imprint, he is supposed to be whatever you need him to be. Like Quil with Claire. She needs him to be her protector, her big brother, so that's what he is. You don't want him as a lover, but only as a friend, yet he keeps trying to make you love him."

"I know it doesn't make sense."

We sat there in silence for awhile, each of us with our own theories. Suddenly, I realized how tired I was. My eyelids were so heavy and all I wanted to do was lay down and sleep. "I better go. I'm beat and I'm falling asleep just sitting here." I stood up and Leah caught my hand.

"Stay here. With me."

I smiled. "Oh baby, you have no idea how much I want that. But what about your Mom? I don't know that she would approve."

"I don't care. We're engaged, Embry. But if you're really worried about that, I'll set an alarm and wake you early enough for you to sneak back out. OK?"

That did sound good. I loved sleeping with her. I smiled and said, "OK. Let's do that." She scooted over and set the alarm while I crawled into bed. "God, this feels good," I said as I stretched out. She moved over to snuggle up against me and I put my arm around her. "I'm so glad you're safe, baby."

"I feel safe now," she replied. We were both asleep in no time.