I am sorry this has taken so long. There has been a lot going on and it is the busiest time of year at work for me. I will try to post some pictures on my page soon (the wolf sketch and some others). Thank you for your patience. OH! And reviews are the BETTER than a full Christmas stocking!

A/N: Twilight and its characters are owned by Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended with the posting of this story.

A/N: I have tried to be true to S.M.'s characters, to the Native American people, and to myself. I have spent a lot of time with North East Native Americans. I have not spent time with any from the North West. So all information I give about Native's reflect that fact (though I have been doing research). Feed back would be great!

A/N Tehya means precious. It was foreshadowing what Emily is to Sam. The most precious thing to him.

Chapter 7

Sam's POV

I am running laps around the reservation. My four paws rhythmic timing helping me to calm down and think rationally. The night air has cooled down some, not that it matters for me…

Leah, the pain I have caused her tonight…

Emily. I swear she felt it too. It was the most amazing thing I have ever felt.

I am glad Harry was there to break things up quickly. After he bumped into Emily, breaking our connection, he sent me to find Grandfather. He and I went into the woods. He told me to break things off with Leah gently before looking or speaking to Emily again.

Gently. Leah did not allow for that. I wish I could have told her everything. I wish I could make it right. The last thing Leah said to me was that she never wants to see or speak with me again.

How can I be so happy and yet so sad at the same time? What am I going to do?

The elders are in a meeting deciding if it is worth the risk to tell Leah what has really happened, because what happened is going to tear that family and me apart if she is not told, if she does not understand. Because she will hate Emily also and that will hurt me too. If they don't tell Leah I won't be able to fix the hurt to Lee-lee or Em. Shit.

The uncertainty is too much. I stop and howl. Letting it all out in one sad song, in this song I am asking for help from Taha Aki. Maybe he will help me again…

Exhausted I go home, phase and climb into bed. Maybe sleep will help.

**

I must be dreaming. I am running with several wolves. In the clearing the phase and so do I.

"Grandfather! Please tell what I am to do…"

Taha Aki looks at me and smiles.

"It will all work out, my son. Leah will see in time that she is meant for more. There will be more than 3 wolves. Watch and be ready to help them, my son."

"But what does that have to do with Leah. Please help me."

"She will understand in time. Be patient. Watch and be ready."

**

As soon as I wake up I jump out of bed, get dressed and run to Grandfather Quill.

We sit and eat breakfast together. I eat two stacks of pancakes and some venison. I am not full but I know my appetite is too large to eat my fill here. I will go home and eat a box of Frosted Mini Wheats to finish filling me up.

"grandfather, please tell me about last night's meeting."

Grandfather Quill sighs and looks at me. "You should have been there Sam. You have a place on the council now."

"I am sorry. But I was too upset and could not control myself. I ran until I was calm."

"I can see you are still upset. Last night while you spoke with Leah, we told the story of Hemmene. I watched Emily carefully because from what you and Harry have told me there is the possibility that Emily felt the connection as well. Emily eyes lit up at the end of the story. Sam, I do not think that Emily will react the same way Kim did. I think she is a good match for the alpha. Strong and ready for what ever happens. We are telling her this morning. Harry will bring her in about an hour to the clearing."

"But what of Leah? Is she coming also?"

"No. It is not for her to know. She was not chosen by your heart Sam. You need to walk a different path than Leah now. I am sorry." I look at Grandfather and see tears in his eyes that he will not shed and knows he understands how painful this is.

"Grandfather, Taha Aki visited my dreams again last night. The news he gave me is confusing."

Grandfather waits, he knows I will tell him.

"Taha Aki said that 'Leah will see in time that she is meant for more. There will be more than 3 wolves.' He told me to watch and be ready. He would not be more clear about what more wolves had to do with Leah though."

We both sit and think. Finally Grandfather nods. "There will be more than three wolves. We need to share this with the elders. Leah will imprint with one. It makes sense. Then she will know and will be right once more."

**

I am waiting with the elders. Harry arrives with Emily and I keep my eyes down. This should have been happening with Leah, yet my soul is glad it is Emily. I do not want Emily to see the conflict in my eyes.

We go through the same process as we did with Kim. Only this time Emily is not a daughter of the tribe. This is a bigger risk.

When I phase I hear a gasp from Emily. I assume it was fear and I look into eyes to see. She is looking right at me and begins to walk to wards me. She has something in her hands – a notebook of some kind. She stops. Looks at the book and back at me. She begins to laugh. It is a beautiful sound.

I phase back into myself and step towards her. She wordlessly hands me her book. Still smiling. It is hard to look away from her face, but I do and when I look down I laugh too. I am staring at myself.

"Did you see me in a dream, Tehya?" The endearment slipped out before I could stop it. I hope she did not notice and comment on that…

"No. I saw the footprint yesterday and this is what I drew." We wind up staring at one another for a longtime.

Finally I look up and realize we are alone, even Jared has left. I grab my pants and we talk. I share all that I know. Answering each question as best I can. Hours pass by quickly and my heart is full.

I begin to flip through the sketch book and I can see Emily is very talented. The next page I flip to has an incredible sketch of Leah. My finger traces her check line.

"I am going to tell her."

"Emily, you can 't. Only those who phase, their mates, and the council are allowed to know. I have been begging the council to allow me to tell her for over two months now. They will not allow it." I am beginning to shake. I need to calm down.

"Then I will leave. I can not stay here and keep this from Leah! I will not continue to hurt her by not telling her what I know, I will go home. I will go back to my reservation and you will forget about me and choose her. "

"NO!" the shaking increases I can not stop it. I need to get away from her before I phase again. Before I can move, Emily lays her hand on my arm while turning to face me, "Sam, if I can't tell her then I will not stay here and intentionally hurt her." I can not stop the change. I try to push her away. As I do, I phase. The change is swift and in the process the hand that was pushing her away transforms. Instead of pushing her shoulder, my paw strikes her face. There is blood instantly and a scream.

I phase back. Time has stopped. I see Emily beginning to crumple. I scoop her up and run to grandfather's house. It is the closest.

**

Grandfather and I can not stop the bleeding. We call 911. When the Paramedics arrive Grandfather is the one to go with her. I know I am just barely holding it together. I can not stop the tremors in my body. The Paramedics tried to look at me, because I was stupid and said I was there when Emily was attacked. They assume it is a bear. I have to tell Emily's mother, I do not think I can.

I take off through the woods, phasing as soon as I am out grandfathers door. I go to Jared's house, stopping just barely under tree cover and start to bark urgently. Jared jumps out of his bedroom window and phases as soon as he hits the woods. I instantly open my mind to him. Letting him see and feel what I felt.

Jared stumbles when he sees me hurting Emily.

'Sam?'

'Don't. We need to tell Harry and then the rest of her family. I need you with me because I can not be trusted.'

I do not get a response. We skid to a halt outside the edge of the Clearwater's yard. The memory of meeting Emily floods my senses and it takes Jared shaking me to snap out of it and phase. We go up and knock 0n the door.

"It's open!"

"Sue? It's Sam. I need to see Harry. It's an emergency. Can you please have him come outside?" I won't cross that threshold again with out an explicit invitation. Thankfully Sue does not issue it.

"Just a moment, Sam. I will get him." I hear her chair scrape back heavily. I also hear a muffled sob from the second floor. Leah. Now she has a true reason to hate me.

"Focus! You are shaking again, Sam." Jared's voice snaps me out of it.

Harry steps out onto the porch and noticing that I am not alone, turns ashen. I grab him quickly and seat him in a chair. Shit. "Jared get Sue!"

"Harry! Look at me! Are you ok?"

"Who have the cold one's hurt Sam?" His hands are clammy.

"It's not the cold ones. It… It was me." I rake my hands through my hair and drop to my in knees in front of him. I can not keep this from him, even though he is not well. I hear Sue and Jared come out of the house. Just the two of them, so I continue. "Harry, Emily wants to tell Leah or she will leave the reservation. I couldn't stop myself. I phased. She was grabbing my arm. I. I couldn't stop. I tried to push her away. I really tried. But I hurt her." My voice breaks and I realize I am crying. "She is at the ER with Grandfather. We couldn't stop the bleeding. I didn't mean too."

I can not look at any of them. I feel Harry's hand on my head. I hear Sue asking Jared to get their truck.

"Sam, I am not sure what this is about other than you hurt Emily. Get away from my husband and get off our property. Do not EVER come back. Seth! Leah! Sally! Come quickly! We need to get Harry to the hospital and Emily is there already. She is hurt. Seth, grab my bag!"

I watch as Jared lifts harry and carries him to the truck. The family comes pouring out of the house and into the truck. Sally and Seth climb in the cramped back seat of the F-150, then Sue climbs into the middle of the front seat and she instantly grabs Harry's hand. I hear him say my name but Leah huffs, jumps into the drivers seat and takes off for the hospital.

I can't move.

"Sam, what now? Are you going to the hospital? Are we going to tell the other elders? Harry didn't look so great…"

I turn, sitting down with my back against the house and my knees drawn up. "No. I am not going to the hospital. You heard Sue. You saw what I did to Emily. They don't want me or need me. You go and tell the elders. I do not know where I am going yet." And I don't know where I will go because this is bad. The elders would be within their rights to throw me out of the tribe…

"Hi Billy? I need you and the elders at the Clearwater's. As quickly as possible. Things are real bad. I need you here quickly. … No… Yes, Grandfather and Harry already know… Hurry… Thanks." I hear the kitchen door close. I feel Jared standing next to me.

"you can leave."

"No I can't."

"I will leave and you fill in the counsel. Tell them Taha Aki told me last night that there will be more than three to change. There have always been only three. Clearly Taha Aki knew I was not to be Alpha. You can handle things until anyone else changes."

"You are my Alpha so cut the shit. You are not allowed to leave. You are the main defense against an enemy that most people believe to be a legend. You have a responsibility to the elders, the tribe, and me. But more than that, you have a responsibility to Emily. She accepted you."

"AND I HURT HER!" I punch the floor, breaking a floor board.

"Pull it together fast Sam. She is going to want you there. You imprinted on her. But I swear there is more. I saw it! I saw it in her face through your eyes. It was more intense than it was for Kim. Maybe it's because you are Alpha. You can take some of this pain for her. You have the strength for Sam!"

"It was not more than it was for you and Kim. You are just saying that. I hurt Leah and Emily. Possibly even Harry and now I have nothing." Incomplete. That's what I am. Incomplete. No Emily. No heart. No family. Hollow. I am hollow. Even my best friend hates me. I have nothing.

Jared grabs me. He shakes me. "You have me! You have the tribe! AND you have Emily!"

I hear cars pulling. Billy pulls right up to the porch, so he doesn't have to get out and mess with his wheelchair. The rest of the elders gather around. Jared quickly fills them in – he knows everything anyways.

"Get in the truck." This is a direct order from Billy. Jared grabs my arm and haul's me up.

Jared gives me one last look, and after a "later", he is gone.

I climb in.

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself. It is not who you are. You, Sam, are a leader and must act like one."

"This wouldn't have happened if you all had let me tell Leah." It dawns on me that we are not heading to my house. "Where are you taking me?"

"We are going to the hospital to straighten this mess out. Emily needs you there. You need to be there. Sue had no right to kick you out."

"Yes she did. Harry was not looking good at all. Sue knows nothing about the situation other than I have hurt three of her family members. That is what your counsel secrets have done. It has hurt them all. It is hurting me."

"It is the way it is done!"

"It is wrong!"

"It will not change"

"It will have to if something has happened to Harry. Will you sit Seth, a child, on the counsel in his father's place just because he is male? He is too young."

Billy sighs. "You are right about Seth he is too young. A counsel seat can not be empty."

"Change it! Make it right, Uncle. Let the wives onto the counsel. Let Sue and the other women on. They are no less worthy of our secrets. Look at grandfather's family. If his daughter-in-law is allowed to sit on the counsel than she will be able to help young Quil if he changes. She will have the knowledge to pass on to him and his children."

There is a long silence. I say nothing and wait for Billy to see the truth of my statement. "You are correct. But we cannot change anything without the rest of the counsel. I will support this Sam."

When we arrive at the hospital, before I can help Billy out of the truck, he reaches into his glove box and pulls out a package. I help him into his chair and we head into the hospital.

As soon as we enter Seth runs up to me. He looks so young and vulnerable. "Seth, what's has happened? How is your father? And Emily?"

"Dad had a slight my-o-card-ial Infarction. I am not sure what that is Sam. But the doctor's told mom that he will be OK and that we were lucky to get him here so quickly. They are giving some two hour golden medication. They don't think he will need surgery. Mom is with him. Emily will be ok too. That bear really got a good swipe at her face. She is not going to be awake for awhile. Leah is sitting with her while Aunt Sally talks with the doctor's. I am stuck here waiting."

I hug Seth. "It will all work out. The counsel is on it's way to help your family and give them support."

"Seth, here go get me a soda, will you?" Billy pulls out some money from his wallet, "and get some drinks for you and your family. I bet your Mom could use a water."

As soon as Seth walks away, Billy turns to me. He hands me the package he had pulled out of the glove box. "Here. This will keep your hands busy. Go and sit with Emily. I will take care of the family. I will speak with the counsel and let them know how I value you r idea. It will all work out. Go. I want to go see my friends." Uncle turns and heads down the hallway to the nurses station.

I look down at the bundle and open it. It is a small carving knife and a few pieces of wood and bone. I close the bundle back up and walk down the hall. I go into the room that Emily and Leah are in. I walk over to Leah's side and look down at Emily's wrapped up face. Then I look at Leah. She is in so much pain too.

"Lee-lee." I open my arms with out thought and she steps up into my embrace. I hold her close as she cries. Then she punches me. Hard in the shoulder, though it does not hurt me as it should have.

"This is your fault."

"Yes, it is." Admitting this to Leah is actually freeing. "Leah, there is more happening here than I can control. I can't keep my promise to give you whatever you want."

It was apparently the wrong thing to say. Leah pushes away and then storms off. She pauses at the door. "Emily has been asking for you." I swear I hear her mutter 'you bastard' under her breath as she walks down the hall.

I sit in the chair that Leah vacated and reach for Emily's hand.

"Tehya, please get better. I need you. I feel empty with out you. Please." I kiss her hand and sit back in the chair, though I do not release her hand. Her breathing has evened out and deepened after I picked her hand up. She is resting easier. It is enough for now.