The Twilight Series belongs to S. Meyer, no copyright infringement is intended. I'm just playing with the characters.

AN: Finally, MW will be revealed (now to find out if anyone will want to read the story to the end). Also one of the ideas/events in here was inspired by MTR's fic Apologies and she got the idea from sfiddy. So, I'm giving credit to them for the inspiration but the writing of it-belongs to me. :D

"So…Seth…" her words trailed off as she tried to find a way to explain her thoughts; what Old Quil's story meant. "They weren't there because of me," her eyes darted to her father's and she saw the pain that lingered there. "This is going to happen to Seth, too, isn't it?"

Old Quil was the one to answer, "Yes, he'll phase. It's why I suggested that there must be a wolf watching him at all times. I believed you would phase but no one believed an old man's ramblings."

"We're just going to sit around and wait? What if he gets mad? He could…"

"We don't push the phase. There's a possibility it may not happen," Billy interjected.

"You'd risk someone getting hurt," she asked incredulously. Her eyes snapped to her dad's again. "Dad, you'd risk mom? Yourself?"

"Leah, honey, it could be weeks before he phases. Why put him through it sooner? And the boys…" he paused. "You…it was unexpected. I'm sure they would have intervened sooner if they realized."

Six heads nodded in agreement to Harry's words. But it was cold comfort to her. She didn't want her brother to experience the same thing she did. The same thing they had all experienced. And while she could try and tell him what was going to happen, it was too unbelievable for words.

"I don't think we should wait. He's my little brother and I don't want him to live with something he'll regret," she finished on a whisper.

Sam's rough laughter startled the room. "Regret?! You expect me to believe you regret what you've done? She lost the baby! Not only does she have to live with the fact she'll be scarred for life because of your actions—she gets to live with the fact you killed our child!"

She paled, her breath catching in her throat while her heart thundered. It was nearly the worst case scenario. While she couldn't deny how she felt about them—she never wished for something like this to happen. It wasn't hate she felt—it was anger and frustration.

The promises Sam had made to her when he returned. How easily he had broken them all. She truly felt she had given him whatever she had left. The decision and choice she had been faced with when she chose him over what she really wanted.

And Emily—she had been Leah's friend and sister, so much more than just a cousin. She had wanted and needed Emily's ear when Sam returned. Everything was so confusing and she craved someone she could talk to. Someone she could spill her darkest secret to and find peace that she made the right decision choosing Sam.

"I…I never meant to hurt her. Why do you think I don't want the same thing for Seth?"

His cruel laughter jarred her and her anger flared. "Tell me why we should believe anything you say. Give me one good reason. You've lied before and not just to me. I doubt anyone would believe a word you had to say if they knew the truth about you," he threatened.

"You wouldn't…"

"Why not? Billy's just biding his time while he waits for Jake to accept his birthright. While Old Quil seems to think the Clearwaters are special to the tribe. What about me?"

"Sam," a quiet voice interrupted his rant. "This isn't the time or place. Don't do this here." Their voice lowered to a whisper that only the wolves could hear, "Not in front of her father. She doesn't deserve that."

They watched as Sam stood, his anger overwhelming him and he lashed out at the nearest object at hand. Which just happened to be the bricks surrounding the small fireplace; his fist clenched tightly as he struck the bricks. Small bits of them broke off and fell to the floor. Blood dripped from his knuckles.

"You have no idea what it was like," he alleged brokenly. "None at all."

"No, I don't," she agreed. "But it doesn't make it right for you to punish me for things you couldn't understand. You weren't there."

Swallowing her dislike of the facts she continued, "And they must trust you for some reason. It's not like it took much time for everyone to phase. It's been nearly six weeks, maybe longer since Jake did. Long enough for the elders to insist changes be made."

The conversation stalled as stumbling footsteps interrupted them. Her nose wrinkled in disgust. The smell coming from the new arrival was an even stranger combination than what she had smelled earlier when Emily had come over. As she glanced around the room, she noticed no one was else was affected like she was.

She growled unconsciously when Bella stumbled into the room. Her wolf whined in distress; in her mind she could see its horror and distaste of the person in front of her. For a moment, she wondered if it had to do with the fact that Bella was his imprint and it was jealously but when Bella's scent wafted further into the room she realized it wasn't.

"Oh, sorry," Bella began; a blush staining her cheeks which gave her a look of innocence. "I didn't mean to interrupt but well, Angela said…umm…about Leah…and I wanted to make sure…well, I heard about Emily…and I worried about you…"

Leah watched as Bella's eyes lingered on him. Her gaze one of ownership but there was a lingering gleam in them too. Satisfaction? Pride? No, control. There was something peculiar about her and her unspoken actions.

From the shadows, she had seen things unfolding. And now that she understood what exactly they were to each other—a type of mate matching by the gods; it reinforced there was something different about his. She knew he hadn't accepted his imprint and had been fighting it.

The rest of them had been so enamored with their imprints. Her head had difficulty forming the word. It was such a foreign concept to her. Either way, they were drawn to them and their very actions showed their level of desire, love, and devotion.

"Bella, why exactly are you here," his voice cold and emotionless.

"Jared," Bella crooned; attempting and failing to make her voice seductive. "I was worried about you. She nearly killed Emily—why would you go after her alone?"

The motion of Bella's arms as she spoke caused her scent to further invade the room. Leah couldn't help her reaction, she growled again—louder this time and it drew attention to her. Bella startled, moving closer to Jared and Leah was barely aware of her next actions.

Her eyes turned golden and flashed with anger. She was off the small stool in seconds and standing in front of Bella. Growls rising from her throat as the scent of death became stronger. Rotting strawberries.

"You need to leave," her voice low and rough. "Now."

The room was deathly silent. No moved or so much as breathed. Leah felt as her wolf push forward but she stayed in her human form. Oddly enough, she wasn't afraid; instead she embraced it. There was something abnormal about Bella that as a human she couldn't understand but the wolf would be able to figure it out.

Bella gasped, "…But…Leah…I didn't mean…I'm…"

"Shut up," she growled. Her eyes flashed brighter, seeming to glow. She watched as Bella nervously tugged at her sleeve and shrank down in fear. Her nostrils flared as Bella's movements caused the scent to further permeate her senses.

Her hands shot out and she grabbed Bella's right wrist and brought her arm upwards. Inhaling deeply, she trembled. Sickly sweet; it caused her skin to prickle. The desire to destroy this aberration was overwhelming. Her wolf burned with the desire to and it was only her hold on it that prevented it from happening.

"Unnatural," she ground out.

Bella whimpered in fear and weakly tried to pull her arm from Leah's grasp; her attempt futile. The stench of death intermixed with the smell of Bella's rising fear. She heard rather than saw as several of the pack stood and ventured closer.

"Don't," she grizzled. Her voice so unlike her normal one—the faintest hint of command—a demand for respect lingering on the single word that they froze.

"Jake," Bella pleaded; terror lacing her plea.

"Quiet."

Bella cried out; her heart skipping several beats. Leah's hands tore the sleeve of her long sleeve shirt, revealing a crescent shaped scar. She ran her finger along the puckered flesh and shivered inwardly at its coldness. The final cable holding her human self in control, snapped.

Shocked gasps filled the air but no one moved a muscle. Frozen in place as they watched Leah raise Bella's arm up to her mouth; the white gleam of her teeth flashing before they sunk into the pale, thin flesh and drew blood.

The bitter taste of blood filled her mouth but Leah was unaware. Stuck in the blackness of her mind—the void her wolf pushed her into. Bella's small squeak of protest went unacknowledged.

Jared stepped forward and placed a hand on her arm, calling her name softly, "Leah."

His words distracted her wolf and Bella's flesh was released. A small shove on her part had Bella stumbling before she fell to the ground. The golden eyes that turned and pinned Jared in place weren't the same eyes of the girl he loved. Someone—something was in her place and he couldn't wrap his head around it.

Her lips were smeared with bright red blood. The expression on her face could barely be described as human. He watched as she pursed her lips and spat onto the small coffee table. Bella's blood.

The back of her hand attempted to remove the blood from her face. Instead it smeared across her cheek. The words she spoke next drew their attention to the puddle of blood.

"How can you all be so blind? So accepting of a wolf in sheep's clothing?" She paused and chuckled at her pun. "Her tainted blood would destroy the tribe. My father would be more ashamed by the treaty you have enacted to protect the cold ones than my choice."

Nine sets of eyes stared at the table. The blood shimmered unnaturally in the dim light. Specks of silver. Shocked gasps as the pack realized exactly what those specks were; as the scent of death filled their lungs. Their gazes swiveled to Bella's form as she crouched on the ground, holding her bleeding arm and crying softly.

"Holy fuck," Jared swore. His words expressed the thoughts of the room at large. Pulling his eyes from the table, he searched for Leah but she was already gone. Leaving more than one to wonder what they had just witnessed and what it all meant.

"Do you believe me now, Billy," Old Quil inquired wryly.

AN: Like my love-hate relationship with Twilight. I also have a love-hate relationship with Bella. Usually it's every other story in which I don't give her a HEA but I look at it this way, SoMeone wrote an entire saga about her and Bella fics outnumber Leah fics 50:1, so it's poetic justice. Things are slowly coming together and I promise to tie up the loose ends that remain. That being said, review and let me know what you think.

FF_8756144_17 12/16/12 10:22PM