Emily laid her head on her cousin's slim, muscled shoulder.

"Leah, when you stop phasing, your ability to have children will return." Sam stared at her. If he were able, it seemed like he would have traded places with his wife.

"That's what you think," she grunted. "From what I can tell, being as there's only ever been one freak like me, there's no guarantee that's true."

Surprising me, Jacob turned once more to the three young boys that hovered behind him. "Listen. This discussion affects the three of you—and the other little ones—more than anybody." He turned back to face the pack. "I'm only alpha right now because I needed to be. Before we leave tonight we should decide who the next alpha is, and the bratty little guy over there had a good point." He exhaled, looked down, and then raised his head once more. "You are all still afraid of me, and with good reason, I think. I'm still not the best candidate for alpha." He turned to look at Sam, and then pointedly looked back at the three boys. "Sam is a great alpha. We don't understand what happened when he imprinted on Emily"—here he shot a firm look at them—"but I want you to know that he's worked hard to make sure the same thing will never happen to you. None of you were left alone when you phased. What happened today...Leah is a warrior, and their relationship is complicated."

Jacob left many things unsaid, but I felt none of us knew if there was any more closure to be had. Sam and Emily would be left to tidy their marriage, and maybe now, secretly, they were both relieved that everything was out in the open. The severity of Emily's scar was nothing compared to the difficulty they both faced in a life with someone they felt trapped with. As if she heard me, Emily turned and smiled at me briefly before turning back to the group, and Sam's eyes lovingly followed her movements. He did truly love her.

The group was avidly discussing Jacob's words; Embry asked Sam if he wanted to be alpha, and Sam, amazingly, shrugged. His eyes kept coming back to Emily, and I wondered how long he'd been waiting to stop phasing. Jared said Paul should be alpha and everyone laughed, even Paul. Colin and Brady shuffled back and forth between the three youngest ones, who they plainly felt more comfortable with, and the older pack members, who they wanted to belong with. Jacob spoke animatedly with Sam, who shook his head, and slowly, their voices lowered, all of the men gathering in a tight circle. Leah, of course, objected.

"I can't hear you," she whined, and Jake looked over at her and frowned.

"Your ribs still hurt?" Embry looked up now as well, concerned.

"No," she lied, and then started to try and get up, Emily's hands fluttering in protest. Embry's face clouded over as he reached for her and Edward's gilded voice got there first.

"They're unsure whether you can be alpha," he said. Embry halted and stood up, towering over all of us.

"They don't trust your temper," he clarified, not to be outdone by the vampire. "Everybody knows how smart you are."

"I'm not that damn smart," Leah muttered, settling with her weight more firmly against Emily and I, silently but obviously relieved that she didn't have to move yet. "And I can't be alpha, with my temper. They're absolutely right." She locked eyes with Embry. "Jacob should be alpha. That's the way its supposed to be."

"Jacob is afraid that if he stays he will continually draw more vampires here, endangering the children. He doesn't want to be alpha." Edward stood close, but remained somehow aloof; he flitted closer and put a light scarf over my shoulders, then quickly returned to his post. I grinned after him, and he shot me a bashful smile before returning his intent gaze on the circle of men. When he thought I wasn't looking, he once again let his eyes flit back to Leah, in rotation with the group.

Leah looked once again at Embry. "Tell him what I said, please." Embry nodded, and walked back to the group.

"Leah, isn't it important for you to know what's going on?" I was worried; how could they decide without her? Leah was second, even if her trial was only temporarily on hold—or was she? Jacob's status threw the entire group dynamic, and I could feel the growing anxiety underneath the jokes and chatter.

"I'll make them uncomfortable, they're scared to speak their minds in front of me," she said in a low voice. Her eyes played over Emily's face. "I always make them uncomfortable, but tonight…I'm still not over what happened with you, cousin." They looked at each other. "I don't like it—something's not right."

"You don't have to like it," Emily said. "I just wanted you to know…Sam's not the strong one, all the time. He's just somebody that got handed a raw deal."

"A raw deal he handed to you," Leah retorted. I grew nervous, remembering the scene from earlier; it seemed like the worst had passed, but who knew, in our strange world, when the worst would next be surpassed? I shook my head and tried not to intrude further.

"I'm telling you, I don't think it was him. It's the imprinting," Emily responded firmly. "And if I've forgiven him, Leah, I'm asking you, as your family, and his, to forgive him too."

Leah looked back at the group and tried to shrug, giving it up with a grimace. "I'll work on it," she said, and thoughtfully chewed her lip. Edward spoke aloud, and I could tell by the wag in her brow that he was addressing her.

"If it matters…Sam has tired of being alpha, Leah. And he is beginning to agree with you." She grunted, and her expression didn't change; Edward seemed to understand, and continued. "They're very close. Five of them, this time."

"Why so many?"

"Because…" Edward's voice faltered, and when he spoke, a gentle awe laced the words. "Because Alice is sending them."

"What?" Leah spun around, grimaced again, and then glared at the vampire. He nodded.

"These are different, they're not the ones you've met. I'll go—" he wavered, looking at the trees and absently nodding—"if they've seen her, then they'll know I'm safe as well." Like a streak of glittering lighting, he was past the trees in the space of a heartbeat.

"What's he talking about Leah?" I figured if she was calm, the newcomers weren't vampires, but Jacob didn't share my sense of trust. He was beside us almost as quickly as Edward had left, his dark eyes rapidly dissecting the darkness where Edward had disappeared seconds before.

"Leah, what was that all about?" His nose worked furiously, and I reached out and grasped the two smallest fingers of his hand with my free one. It eased the serious expression on his face.

"Children of the moon." Emily and I both gasped, and Leah stared defiantly up at Jacob. "I've met some of them. Another piece of the puzzle, Jake." She waited, then continued as his breathing normalized. "These aren't the ones I know, though—Edward said Alice sent these."

"You're going to fight then?" I looked back and forth at their confused faces and rushed impatiently on. "Alice sees the future—is she sending you troops?"

"Holy—" I thought for a brief second that Quil had heard me, but then realized he was looking at the trees. All of us turned together and looked where his eyes lead.