Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.

A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.

Thank you to my reviewers.

Chapter 51

Leah's POV

Waves of fear radiated off the pup as I chased him through the snow coated forest. He knew he'd fucked up… badly. He'd only been phasing for a couple of months now. What on earth had the pup been smoking when he started thinking that he could defeat me? Oh and not just thinking to himself, no. The pup had the audacity to deliberately think it while we were all mentally linked. The little punk wanted me to hear it!

We were in the middle of a meeting in the woods, discussing patrolling and training schedules when the pup practically called me out in front of the entire pack. The entire pack's mind went silent for a few seconds before they began to back away from us. My inner wolf howled at me to protect my position in the pack's hierarchy. The younger pups cowered in fear at my rage, while the older wolves began to place bets on now many of his bones I would break. Jacob, ever watchful over his pack, stood off to the side. His wary stance declaring that he would only intervene if the pup was in any immediate danger.

Well, I handed him his ass, but instead of him admitting defeat, he ran.

Big mistake.

You never ran from a fight, one of the first lessons I taught to the new wolves. We were werewolves not sparkly-ass vampires. And that was how I ended up chasing the pup through the damn forest in the dead of winter.

The others took off after us, not contented to view the upcoming beat down through the mental link. They all wanted to be there in the flesh. I paced myself, digging my claws into the snow, gaining on him without even trying.

I wasn't pissed because the pup thought he could challenge me. Pack members challenged each other all the time, for rank or sometimes even fun. The fact that he thought he could beat me simply because of my gender, now that really pissed me off.

Oh shit. He pissed her off. She's out for blood now, Seth the Einstein pointed out.

Run bitch! Run! This came from Quil, the newly crowned asshole of La Push, as he taunted the pup that had been unfortunate to think that his balls were bigger than mine.

Hey! Quil protested the asshole comment, but it wasn't like it wasn't true.

Paul had been dethroned in that department the very second Rachel dropped her panties for him. Of course, he hadn't been completely neutered. He still had the capacity to act like a butt plug from time to time… but that was only when Rachel wasn't around. When she was around though, it was see ya later, testicles!

Whatever. I'm still a badass and you know it, Paul snorted.

Shh! Not so loud. Rachel might hear. Jared added to Paul's ridicules.

Laughter rippled through the pack mind, and yet I was no mood for humor. I'd been in a shitty mood ever since my error a few weeks back. The best course of action would be for me to end this quickly. The longer this chase dragged on, the larger a danger I became, with the wolf inside of me howling for blood. This thought had Jacob giving off waves of caution.

Redoubling my efforts, I increased my speed to catch up to the pup. A low, grating snarl was his only warning before I used my body weight to slam into him. My momentum sent him crashing headfirst into a boulder. He went down, crumbling like clay and I lunged at him, biting and clawing. He was much too young to be throwing down challenges and therefore no match for me. The irrepressible need for violence rose steadily inside me like an unstoppable wave, and I gave into the urge to plant a vicious bite on his shoulder. The coppery taste of blood flooded my mouth and my inner wolf snarled victoriously.

Enough. That one word was sufficient to stop me, and I froze, my limbs immediately locking up. Jacob didn't even need to issue a command. The alpha's power was absolute and unquestionable.

See to your wounds, #14. And get some more experience before you even think about challenging me again. I backed away from the fallen pup, struggling to keep the still snarling wolf under control.

Rather than be bothered with the different names of the recruits, I'd given them all numbers instead. It was easier.

Michael. He lay on his side, his ribcage heaved with each breath, sending white puffs into the air.

What?

I said my name is Michael, the pup groaned, obviously still in pain. I was slightly impressed that he still had the strength to mouth off. This one had shown some promise in previous training sessions before he went and got all cocky.

Whoa, maybe you should let the hair on your balls grow back before you piss Leah off again, Embry warned as he emerged from the trees with the senior wolves that had finally caught up to us. The young wolves instinctively followed behind, jostling and playfully nipping at each other, like the pups they were.

When you do something worth remembering, #14, maybe then I'll try to remember your name. My lips stretch into a feral grin. I turned to Jacob, silently asking if I could go now. I wasn't in the mood to deal any more bullshit.

Meeting adjourned. Jacob answered with a brisk nod, and I headed back toward the reservation.

I wanted to phase back so that I could have my mind to myself again, but the distance to the reservation was too far to walk. It sucked balls having a bunch of numb nuts be privy to my most private thoughts. In the end, I maintained a steady trot back to the res while keeping my mind occupied with trivial shit. If I wasn't careful start thinking about Zach once more, and Sam would get his panties in a bunch… again. God knows he was already riled up about my latest indiscretion.

Over the past two years, our numbers had increased. Up until that fight with the newborn leeches, there were ten of us. Now we had a total of twenty-six wolves in the pack. The elders speculated that with the increase of the vampire population worldwide, the tribe would need its protectors now more than ever. They were beginning to think that wolves would always be needed. And being a werewolf or having a werewolf relative would quickly become a way of life for the people of La Push.

I was assigned the job of training the pack's newest recruits. It was a no brainer really. Because of my slender frame, I was the fastest, and I wasn't ashamed to admit that I was also the smartest. Although, when it came to fighting, Jacob and Sam were the only ones better than me. Jacob thought that it would be a good way for me to work through my rage, while getting to crack a few skulls, in addition to teaching fighting skills to new wolves in the process.

For us, the senior wolves, being a werewolf was something that we'd been drafted into. But the younger wolves reveled in the strength, speed and the body that came along with the wolf. They were excited to chase vampires, and thought of themselves as real life super heroes, go figure.

Finally, I arrived at the edge of the forest, behind my house and phased back. Barefoot, I crossed the backyard and let myself into the house. The door was unlocked, as usual. Who would be crazy enough to try and rob me? Hell, I managed to scare grown men in my human form alone.

With a comfortable sigh, I looked around my house. My sanctuary. And it would remain mine until Seth the day decided that he'd had enough of living at Charlie's house, and wanted a slice of my piece of heaven.

As I helped myself to a sandwich or five, I wondered when Mom would put an end to the shacking up and make it legal with Charlie. He was a nice enough guy who took his job and the safety of others seriously. He made my mom happy and looked after Seth without appearing like he was trying to replace my dad. Charlie even surprised me by showing up at my house one day to install additional locks on the doors, awkwardly explaining that he was worried about me living by myself.

After taking a bath, I threw on a T-shirt and some shorts, before settling in to watch some TV. Yet even that wasn't enough to distract me from the gigantic mistake I'd made two weeks ago. It was loneliness that drove me to accept a date with Tony, a guy in my Marketing class. Tony wasn't a bad looking guy, and he was clearly attracted to me. He'd even asked me out a few times, but I'd always turned him down.

Of late I'd been questioning my intense attraction to Zach. Why did I find him so interesting? What was it about him? Maybe my feelings were a fluke, and the only reason I was so infatuated with Zach was because he'd been the first guy I'd slept with since Sam. Maybe all those annoying feelings for Zach had been the result of me needing to get laid. I had to be sure that it wasn't just my hormones talking. So the next time Tony asked me out, I said yes.

And what a mistake that was. Dinner would've gone a lot better if the wolf hadn't been irritated by the amount of product Tony had in his hair. Whenever he came too close, I had to fight to keep the wolf from biting the guy. It felt like I had a split personality disorder. My human side was hell bent on getting laid, but the wolf did not want to be touched by Tony. Following a ridiculously awkward sexually encounter, I came to the conclusion that Tony wasn't the problem, it was me, or more specifically, the wolf. Even more annoying, I actually felt guilty for sleeping with Tony, like I'd cheated on Zach or something.

The human part of me liked Tony, but the wolf was picky. While I was just looking for a good time, the wolf was looking for a mate. That was where my problem began. The wolf was becoming a little too attached to Zach, and it confused the hell out of me. I'd made it clear to Zach that I wasn't on the market for a long distance relationship, but he was being a persistent little bastard.

No matter how many times I tried to explain why a relationship between us would never work, Zach refused to give up. He didn't care about the distance we lived from each other, saying that we could always visit one another. Of course, it didn't help that I dreamed about him all the time. And of late, I'd actually caught myself missing the loser, although we talked on the phone almost every night. Between my classes and the pack, I could honestly say that talking to Zach on the phone was the best part of my day. But the problem of how to go about telling Zach that I was an infertile werewolf, kept me up at night. Even though he knew about the existence of vampires, werewolves might end up being a little too much for Zach to swallow.

And before I could even begin to entertain the thought of telling Zach the truth, I would have to get permission from Jacob and the elders. That was just one of the rules created by our Alpha. Before bringing a mate into the pack, they would first have to be introduced and then the elders would be allowed to vote on it. Those were some of the rules Jacob put in place to protect the pack.

All of my worries might have been for nothing anyway. The last time Zach called was Christmas Day and that was days ago. I hadn't heard from him since then, but it wasn't like I cared or anything. It was just that he told me about his going to visit his sister on the Makah Reservation, and I thought that Zach might have wanted to make plans to meet up. Whatever. It wasn't like we were a couple or anything. Relationships only got complicated when someone began to care. And I didn't.

Damn it, I thought, lifting the remote to flip through stations in irritation. I was doing it again, thinking about Zach. Why couldn't I get the big perv out of my mind?

Maybe it's because he's the first guy that didn't make me feel like damaged goods. For reasons I didn't understand, Zach liked me. The angrier, meaner and more sarcastic I got, it only seemed to turn him on. It was just plain weird.

With a resigned sigh I turned my attention toward Judge Judy, and soon enough, found myself completely entertained. I loved the way that old croon terrorized the people in her courtroom. Being tough was the only way a woman got any respect in this world, and Judge Judy was one of the toughest.

My mind dimly registered the sound of a car pulling up near the house. The car door slammed shut, and then snow crunched beneath the car's tires as it drove away. I shrugged my shoulders and went back to my show, assuming that the neighbors had a visitor or something. I wasn't expecting any company.

A knock sounded at my door, making me uneasy.

Cautiously, I approached the front door sniffing the air that surrounded it. The scent was oddly familiar and the wolf began to get excited. I pushed those feelings aside and opened the door to a hell of a surprise.

Zachary Grey stood on my doorstep with a suitcase in one hand and a crate in the other. My body shook slightly, as I struggled to keep from throwing myself into his arms, like the wolf wanted me to. His hazel eyes lit up with mischievousness, lips curling into a heart stopping smile. Before I could do or say anything, he stepped over the threshold, wrapped his arms around me before dropping a kiss on my partially opened mouth.

"Honey, I'm home!" Zach announced around his huge grin.

Bella Swan, when I see you again, I'm going to kick your ass.

"And that's when Taylor and Ryan walked in and caught me with my hand on Izzy's tits. You should have seen Taylor's face. Dude looked like he wanted to break my hand," Zach laughed as he moved around my kitchen, effortlessly finding ingredients like he'd been there thousands of times before.

After I'd been accused of hovering, I planted myself at the kitchen table, watching as Zach Grey cooked me dinner.

Yes, I said cook!

He insisted on making us something to celebrate his first night in La Push. I was appreciative of his initiative because I couldn't cook worth a damn. I was mostly dependent on takeout and my mom for my meals. Silently, I thanked my mom for keeping the cupboards stocked in the vain hope that I might one day attempt to cook.

"I'm shocked that you can cook. I'm guessing your sister Elise taught you?" I poured myself another glass of the cheap wine that he'd picked up on his way over here, and then settled back in my chair to watch the show.

Damn him for looking just as sexy as I remembered. His broad shoulders were covered by a blue T-shirt that molded to all the contours of his muscular chest. Dark jeans drew attention to his powerful legs and firm ass. He even got extra points for having a gorgeous, thick head of hair that brushed the collar of his T-shirt. Zach was leaner than and not quite as large as Taylor or Ryan, but that didn't make him any less impressive.

"Yeah. When I was growing up, she always said I'm not your slave. Make it your damn self." He looked up from the chopping board with a disarming smile. "But don't tell Izzy I can cook, all right?"

"Why not?"

"Because then she won't feed me anymore. And if she stops making those incredible cupcakes of hers, I'll have to find something else to nibble on." He flashed me dark, smoldering look that sent white hot lust tearing through my body.

I was familiar with that look and remembered where I'd seen it for the first time. It was the same simmering look he gave me when I danced around naked, letting Suzie Q slither all over my body. I still don't know what possessed me to do that. It was the most spontaneous thing I'd ever done in my life.

Almost as if he could tell what I was thinking, Zach's lips curled into a devious smile. His tempting smile drew my focus to his mouth, and I felt myself getting turned on at just the remembrance of what that mouth could do. The man definitely knew how to please. I had to give him that much.

If Zach's presence in my home was already making me this crazy, how the hell was I going to survive the next couple of days without mauling him? Zachary Grey was as addicting as heroin, and I was like a junkie, just aching for my next fix.

I tore my gaze away from the bronzed Adonis, directing it toward my wine glass and took a long sip. Sleeping with Zach was a onetime thing. I didn't need or want a boyfriend. My life was complicated enough and boyfriends, by their very definition, were a complication.

Since Zach went through the trouble of coming all the way to La Push, I would give him a place to stay, but that was it.

Nope, no more sex for me. I'm keeping my legs closed and my panties on.

As it turned out, Zach wasn't a half bad cook. His pasta carbonara didn't have me rushing for the Pepto-Bismol. While we ate, Zach talked about his family and school a little. However, Taylor and Bella were our main topic of choice. It seemed that ever since Bella grew a brain and dumped the fraternity moron, she'd been spending a lot of time with Taylor. We were both speculating about what it could all mean. Would Bella finally, to quote Zach, give up the pussy so we could all move on?

When dinner ended, I showed Zach to his room, or more specifically, to Seth's room. He propped himself on the door frame, and quirked a dark eyebrow at me expectantly. "So you're not coming to tuck me in?" Uh-Oh. Zach the man-whore had finally made his appearance.

"Do not flirt with me, Zach. What happened up at the lake house was a onetime thing." As I spoke, Zach pushed himself off the wall and slowly stalked over in my direction, looking like sex on legs. For every step he took forward, I took one backward until the wall came up behind me, blocking my escape.

"I'm not… having sex with… you again." Zach's hazel eyes darkened with knowledge at the breathless in my voice. The bastard noticed how hard I'd been trying to maintain some distance between us all night.

I swallowed hard, watching Zach cautiously as he moved nearer, until he was close enough to touch. His close proximity caused my nerve endings to tingle with awareness. The spicy scent of his arousal was all male as he ground his hard-on against my pelvis.

"Are you sure about that, Lee?" The deep, seductive quality of his voice made my nipples tighten in response. Sweet Jesus, the man could charm the pants off the devil himself.

I fisted my hands, creating small crescent shaped wounds with my nails. With all my might, I labored against the wolf's demands that I sink my teeth into and claim the man before me.

Sensing my inner turmoil, Zach leaned in and whispered against my lips. "You don't have to have sex with me, Lee. I'll have sex with you. How does that sound?" Everything about Zach oozed lust and inspired fantasies. How could I resist? Hell, why should I even try?

With a strangled whimper, I gave up the fight and threw myself into his arms, crashing my lips to his. After stumbling back into Seth's room, Zach snaked a hand between our bodies and whipped my T-shirt over my head. We had barely made it to the bed before I practically ripped his T-shirt off. In my eagerness, I reached down and fastened my grip on the waist band of his jeans. Zach's zipper got stuck on the first tug. I tried again, but ended up pulling so hard that the zipper was permanently ruined. Those pants would never zip up or down again.

There was nothing gentle about our coming together. It was the rough, frenzied pounding of a longtime separated couple. We didn't have time for foreplay or tender reassurances or any of that other shit. Although I had the advantage of werewolf genes, Zach gave as good as he got, releasing the pent up sexual frustration of five ex-cons.

"I can't feel my legs," Zach panted, his chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath. He closed his eyes in contented exhaustion, leaning back against the warm sheets. The gradually slowing rhythm of his heart drifted into my ear.

"It's your own fault, you know." I snuggled against him, carelessly flinging my leg over his hips. A light sheen of perspiration dampened his body, and I enjoyed the feel of his skin sliding against mine.

"My own fault for what, being irresistible?" He cracked an eye open.

I rolled my eyes, holding back my sarcastic reply. Cocky bastard.

Suddenly, Zach shot up on the verge of panic. "Shit, Leah! How could I be so stupid? We forgot to use a condom. Are you on the pill or something?"

"Calm down, I'm on the pill." I lied like a pro. It wasn't like I could get pregnant or contract an STD.

Let's hear it for freakish wolf genes.

Zach relaxed visibly, lying back down on the bed. "You know. That was my first time without a condom."

"Yeah?" That was good to know.

"I've been wrapping it up ever since I was old enough to chase girls. My sister's favorite quote was no glove, no love. She always said she'd kill me if I ever knocked anyone up." It was nice knowing that I was the first person he's allowed himself to be reckless with.

"Don't worry about my pants. I was gonna throw it out anyway. And that growling thing you did was so fucking sexy." His hand slinked down to cup my ass and bring me even closer to him.

"You don't think it's weird?" I asked unsurely. A lot of men weren't into aggressive-type girls. Tony wasn't.

Zach let out a soft snort of amusement. "Weird? After living with Taylor, nothing looks weird to me anymore."

Something in his voice made me raise my head to look at his face. What's weird about living with Taylor? Just as I opened my mouth to ask this, we were interrupted by a horrified shout.

"Leah? What the fuck?" Our heads whipped toward the open doorway where Seth stood staring at us with saucers for eyes.

Zach swore under his breath, and quickly yanked the blanket over our naked bodies.

"Oh God! My eyes!" Seth dramatically threw an arm over his face, and stumbled back into the hallway.

I finally recovered from my stupor to scream, "Seth, get out! Go wait for me downstairs!"

"And in my bed too. Oh God." Seth staggered out of our sight with a sickened groan.

"Sorry about that." I sat up, running a hand over my face.

Zach stood up and walked around the bed, looking for his boxers. "That's nothing. Try having parents walk in while you're actually in the throes. Do you know how many windows I've had to climb out of?"

"You're such a slut." I could stop my answering grin.

"Yeah, but I'm your slut." Zach pulled me off the bed to nibble on my neck.

I felt him harden against my leg but just as I was about to cop a feel, we were interrupted again.

"Ahh!" Seth's loud scream echoed through the house.

Zach pulled away from me and swore. "Shit. Susie Q." He raced out of the room, leaving me to struggle into his T-shirt. Before we came upstairs, Zach had let Suzie Q out of her crate, leaving her curled up on the couch.

Downstairs, the scene was ridiculous.

Seth had Suzie Q cornered with a broom and Zach had thrown himself over the snake, creating a shield with his body.

A pale-faced Seth whirled around to face me. "What the hell, Leah? Who is this guy and why the fuck is he protecting that snake?" His hands shook slightly and I let out an amused snort. The big, strong werewolf was afraid of snakes.

Well, now was as good a time as any to make introductions. "Seth, this is Zach. Zach, this intruder here is my brother."

I was grateful that Seth was wearing a shirt. It would be difficult to explain why he's walking around shirtless during winter.

Seth frowned then his eyes lit up with mischief. "So this is the guy…" He didn't need to finish that sentence, having seen my memories of what happened at the lake house. Seth's expression quickly changed from amused to irritated. "And what do you mean intruder? This house is half mine, you know?"

After checking Suzie Q over for any injuries, Zach stood up, cradling the snake in his hands like a baby. His eyebrows furrowed together as he glared at Seth. "Dude, didn't anyone ever tell you to be kind to animals?"

"Sorry, man. Snakes creep me out." Seth held up his hands defensively.

No shit. Seth was the only werewolf in history to run into a tree because I told him there was a snake was in his fur. There wasn't.

Zach seemed slightly mollified by Seth's apology but he relaxed his stance, letting his anger slide away. That was one of the things I loved about Zach. He was never to type to hold a grudge, unlike me who seldom forgave and never forgot.

"What are you doing here anyway?"

"Can't a brother come by to hang out with his favorite sister?" Seth feigned innocence.

I wasn't fooled by his lame ass attempt at flattery. "I'm your only sister. What the hell do you want?"

"I wanted to borrow some money. Mom won't give me an advance on my allowance." I should've known the little punk wanted money.

Zach cut in with surprise written across his face. "Allowance? Dude, how old are you?"

"Seventeen." A bemused Seth admitted.

"Seventeen? Damn! I thought you were twenty-five or something." Zach's eyebrows flew up into his hairline.

Seth didn't allow Zach to dwell on that topic. "So how long are you here for Zach?"

"Three days then I have to get back to Dartmouth."

"Well, I would shake your hand but I could only guess where it's been." Seth's lips twisted into a wry grin.

"That's it, get the hell out." I started shoving him toward the door.

Seth laughed and tossed a nice meeting you, Zach over his shoulder. Zach nodded then disappeared into the kitchen to put Suzie Q back in her crate.

I opened the door but before I could toss Seth out, he grabbed my arm. "Zach's friends with Bella, isn't he?" Gone was the jokester from earlier. Seriousness now lined his features.

I knew what he was getting at. Jacob's not going to like it. Which reminded me, I needed to see him about getting someone else to do my patrols while Zach was here. I hoped he wouldn't give me a hard time about it.

"Hey, Seth. Could you get Jacob to swing by later? I have to talk to him."

"Sure." He stepped onto the porch, but he wasn't finished with me yet. "You know, Sam's gonna throw a bitch fit once he finds out." There was an anticipatory gleam in Seth's eyes. He was clearly looking forward to watching Sam squirm.

"Who gives a fuck?" I grumbled then slammed the door in his grinning face.

Zach sauntered back into the living room naked, sporting an impressive hard-on. "Now, how about we pick up where we left off?"

He let out a sexy growl and chased me up the stairs.

I awoke hours later, feeling like someone called my name. Blinking my eyes open, I sat up and looked toward Zach, who was sleeping soundly next to me. I cocked my head to the side and listened for the source of the sound.

After a few moments of silence, I heard it. "Leah," Jacob called softly from the woods out back. He'd gotten my message from Seth.

I climbed off the bed and belted my robe around my waist before quietly leaving the bedroom. The kitchen door made no sound as I slipped outside, hastily closing the distance between the forest and my house.

Jacob's figure made itself known, as he stepped out of the shadows. Dressed in a pair of cutoff shorts alone, I assumed he was patrolling again tonight, although he wasn't on the schedule. "What is it?"

"A friend of mine dropped in unannounced. Can I have the next couple of days off?" I asked as nicely as I could, silently praying that he wouldn't grill me about my houseguest.

"Fine. I'll get Michael to cover your patrols for the next few days." I relaxed marginally, allowing myself a flicker of hope that was snuffed out when Jacob stated matter-of-factly, "He's the guy from last summer."

My shoulders slumped and I sighed, "Yeah." Everyone knew about where I went last summer. So it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Zach was one of Bella's friends.

My eyes drifted to Jacob's face and stayed there. Ever since Jacob decided to take up the leadership mantle, he'd changed from a fairly easygoing guy to this hardened wall, standing in front of me. He barely ever smiled anymore and ran himself ragged patrolling at times when he didn't really have to. Between his apprenticeship with Trevor and the fuck fests with Carmen, it was a wonder he hadn't dropped from exhaustion, yet.

Tonight, his expression was stoic, giving away no indication of what he was thinking. And yet I read the tension in his jaw, saw the shadow of an unidentifiable emotion flicking in his gaze.

Was it about Bella? Did he want to ask about her? If he wanted to know about Bella then he would have to come out and ask. I wasn't even allowed to think about her in wolf form, so I sure as fuck wasn't about to volunteer any information.

As quickly as those thoughts began to form, the look in his eyes vanished, leaving me to wonder if I'd imagined it all. It had been months since his last Bella thought, in wolf form anyway. Did he even think about her anymore?

"Are you bringing him to the New Years Eve party?"

"Fuck no," I snarled and was surprised by the possessiveness tone of my voice. Zach would only be in town for a couple of days and I didn't want to share him with anyone.

Jacob's eyes narrowed slightly, assessing me with a knowing look that I didn't like one bit. "I'm sure you already know the rules, but I'm obligated to remind you anyway. Potential mates have to first be approved by the council."

Mate? My jaw dropped, temper flaring at his insinuation. "What the fuck? Zach's not my mate. He's just a guy." His smile held small traces of mockery.

Why did I get the feeling he didn't believe me?

Jacob let out a snort of derision as he turned away, disappearing into the darkness of the forest.

For a moment, I just stood there, scaring trees with my scowl before going back into the house. As I padded up the stairs, the soft sounds of Zach's snores told me that he was still asleep. Oddly enough, the sound was comforting, having only had the sound of my own grumblings to keep me company for so long.

Back inside my room, I slipped out of my robe, tossing it onto the chair next to my bed. Zach lay on his side with the blanket barely covering his hip. I lifted the corner of the blanket and crawled in next to him. Jacob's words echoed in my head.

Mate? I snorted inwardly. Yeah right.

Upon feeling the heat of my body, Zach instinctively scooted closer, wrapping an arm around my waist. He pressed his lips against my shoulder and my heart fluttered. Fucking fluttered.

What the hell?

A few hours later, I was sitting at the kitchen counter, watching Zach fry some bacon. His wife beater clung to the muscles in his back. I didn't exactly hate the sight of his firm ass in his kiss the cock boxers.

It was nice that he didn't feel the need to fill the silence with meaningless chatter. I wrapped my fingers around my coffee cup, giving off a deep sigh of contentment. I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt so relaxed.

A girl could get used to this.

As it turned out, I could get used to a lot of things. More and more, I found myself liking the fact that his scent was now all over my house. I enjoyed the sight of him in my kitchen, and found myself thinking about how much I would miss him when he was gone.

The phone rang, interrupting my thoughts, and I hopped off the stool to go answer it. As I left the kitchen, I could feel Zach's eyes on my ass. Enjoy the view.

I sat down on the arm of the chair, snatched up the receiver and brought it to my ear. "Hello?" What I really wanted to ask was who the hell is this? To say that the interruption irritated me would be a gross understatement.

"So, I hear there's a man in my house."

Damn you and your big mouth, Seth. When I see you again I'm gonna punch you right in the balls!

"Hey, Mom."

"Why so glum? Did last night not go so well?" God, I swear ever since my mom hooked up with Charlie it's like she's a frigging teenager again. Great for her, sucked for me.

"Jeez, Mom!" My newly revived sex life was the last thing I wanted to talk to my mother about.

"All right, fine. I won't ask if you were sexually satisfied or not. I just called to tell you that Charlie has invited you and your boyfriend over for dinner tonight."

"He's not my boyfriend," I tried to correct her assumption.

"Okay, your friend with benefits or booty call or whatever you kids are calling it nowadays." In the corner of my mind, I wondered where the hell my mom had even heard those terms before.

"Wait a minute, why does Charlie want me to bring Zach over?" Immediately, I was filled with suspicion. Something didn't smell right.

"Oh, no reason. Just want to meet your special friend, that's all." Her blasé answer did nothing to assuage my worries. This smelled like a trap. "Anyway, dinner's at six. Bring your boyfriend, bye." She spoke quickly then hung up before I had the chance to turn her down or deny Zach being my boyfriend again.

What the hell? I stared at the phone in annoyance.

Heavy footsteps clunked across my porch, and I picked up the scent of an uninvited visitor. Oh hell no! In a huff of anger, I stomped over to the front door and wrenched it open.

Sam Uley stood on my stoop with his arms folded over his chest. His black glower pinned me where I stood. The tensing of his jaw told me that he was furious, at me, himself or our situation. Who knew? This was what our relationship had become. Sam was upset over me moving on, and I liked that it pissed him off so much. An evil grin made its way onto my face and I didn't try to hide it.

Sam's eyes raked over my body, taking my disheveled appearance with a disapproving frown. Of course, I knew what I looked like, lips still slightly swollen from Zach's kisses, completely naked except for Zach's T-shirt, smelling like sex and bacon. I looked like I'd just been fucked good and proper.

Can we say awkward?

I stiffened defensively under his judgmental stare.

What the fuck is he doing here anyway?

Before I could make any of my usual caustic remarks, the sound of Zach's approaching footsteps padded in our direction.

He rounded the corner calling out, "Where's my pussy… cat?" He stopped dead in his tracks, adding the last word when his hazel eyes landed on Sam.

Sam's eyes narrowed dangerously and Zach arched an eyebrow with a wicked smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Ah shit.

A/N: Apologies for the late chapter. I re-wrote it because wasn't satisfied with the last draft. This chapter is unbeta'd but I refused to make you guys wait another week, so here it is. Hopefully the ridiculous chapter length will make up for my tardiness. Please forgive any errors you may undoubtedly come across.

Back to the story:

What do you think of Lee and Zee's reunion?

Do you think Zach knows about Taylor's secret?

Leah seems to be having trouble dealing with unwanted feelings for Zach.

Poor Seth's been traumatized.

What's up with the new rules for wolf mates?

Do you think Jake wanted to know about Bella?

Sam and Zach finally meet face to face... oh boy.

A/N: I'm torn about whether or not the next chapter should be in Leah's POV or if I should get back to Hanover and let Zach tell Bella what happened. Let me know if you'd rather read about the remainder of the visit in Leah's POV. I'll let you guys know my decision in your upcoming teasers. Review and voice your choice.

Also, not sure about when the next chapter will be delivered as I have come to a crossroad, relationship wise, and my mind is too tied up to write anything worth reading.

Keep checking my forum for chapter update news.

Review and be teased people!