Ten

Seth

We ended up cramming ourselves in the dining room, with all of us situated at my mom's small dinner table. There was a silent argument over who would sit at the head of the table but my mom won out for obvious reasons. I sat to her right and Alice to her left with Edward to the left of her. Sam sat directly opposite my mom, glowering and pouting like a little kid. I cleared my throat, drawing all attention to me.

"Mom, we're back for a reason I wish was different." I cleared my throat again, hating the feeling of all eyes on me but knowing it was necessary. Sure it was just four people, but one of them I really didn't like anymore and one of them was my mom, who I'd probably freak out with what I had to say.
"We came to you because you're the council member closest to us and you're the mother of the wolf this concerns directly."

"You were also meant to be here, Sam," Alice added, giving me a quick look.

Sighing, I nodded. "As much as we might not like it, you need to know."

"Know what?" he demanded with an underlying growl. We all tensed but didn't physically react otherwise... Well, except for my mom.

"No, Samuel, this is my home, he is my son and this concerns my daughter," she said forcefully. She stood from where she sat and walked up to him, looking him dead in the eye as she spoke. "I will not stand for you to raise any sort of tension when there's obviously already so much going on outside of your ego. If you cannot see beyond that, I'm afraid I don't know how I would ever be able to look at you as my chief, even as just a stand in."

The room was unbelievably silent after my mom's rant. Sam just sat there with his mouth slightly open, looking at my mom like he wasn't sure whether to run away or fight back.

"Now that that's settled, you've got our undivided attention, Seth," my mom announced, making her way back to her seat. She settled herself down and waved her hand at me, urging me to continue.

"Uh right," I muttered, glancing somewhat uneasily at Sam. "My sister, Leah, she went into this weird coma thing around four and a half hours ago. None of us," I said, pausing to motion to my companions, "are really sure about what happened. I think all the stuff that happened to her before her passing out was what really caused it." I cleared my throat and wiped my palms against my cutoff sweats under the table.

"What happened beforehand?" my mom asked gently. I saw tears gather in her eyes and fought the urge to wipe them away. I had a feeling hearing about my sister's coma wasn't the only reason she felt like crying. She knew as well as I did that Leah's secret would have to be revealed and that was killing us all. It hurt worse knowing there was a possibility she wouldn't see our reasoning so clearly. I loved her, without a doubt but I wasn't blind to her ability to hold a grudge over even the smallest things when she was overwhelmed.

"She was having issues all over the place; with Jake, Ness and well, with Olivia."

"Who's Olivia?" Sam questioned suspiciously, narrowing his eyes and passing his gaze over all of us.

I expected the question the moment we stepped onto Quileute soil and had been dreading it since then. I wasn't sure how to proceed but knew that the moment was finally due. All I could really hope for was that my sister would some day forgive me for what I was about to do; what I had to do.

"Olivia is Leah's imprint."

There was stark silence after the words left my mouth. Sam sat there, his eyes somewhat unfocused and mouth hanging open slightly as he looked at me. No one knew how to continue, completely unsure how Sam would react once the initial shock passed.

"That's… well... Olivia is a shitty name for a guy," he eventually muttered, crossing his arms over his chest, clenching his jaw and looking away. I noticed the small tremors running up and down his arms and stiffened. I would not in any way endanger my mom's safety any more than I already had.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, I opened my mind and felt my other Sight return to me. The colors that assaulted me when I looked at Sam caused me to cringe. He was surrounded by an ugly greenish yellow color with red streaks that stuck out like snakes, coiling in preparation for an attack. I focused as best I could, trying to distinguish what his true color was from all the rest.

A flicker of rich forest green passed through his aura, occasionally growing bigger before being chased away by the angry red and drowning in uglier green. His real color reminded me of the trees surrounding my home, of the runs I've had with my pack for fun, of good times with nature. His true shade of green represented his likeness to earth: strong, reliable and comforting.

I recalled the way he was with me and everyone before the wolf gene took its effect and changed everything. He was the big brother I never had and the boyfriend Leah dreamt about for a long time. The entire family accepted him because he was exactly the way his aura was supposed to be. I needed to pull that from him, to allow himself to feel that way once more in order to keep him from phasing because I knew I wasn't physically able to deal with him without wrecking my mom's home.

With all the force I'd garnered from practicing my ability, I pulled at his true aura and urged it to grow. I felt sweat break out over my body but happily noted that my efforts weren't being wasted. Before my eyes, I saw it grow, expanding and spreading, causing a slow change in his expression from one of malice and denial to curiosity and concern.

"Olivia's a girl, isn't she?" he whispered. I didn't need my extra ability to see the way worry etched itself in his face. "Leah imprinted on a girl."

"Olivia's a great person and cares a lot about Leah. Does it really matter if she's a she?" Alice prodded softly.

"I don't… I don't know." He ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head and squeezing his eyes shut. There was more to what he was feeling than concern, that much was evident.

"Sam, I know this is a lot for you but that's not really why we're here."The petite vampire bit her lip, slowly getting up from where she sat. "I saw something that… it didn't make any sense and it somehow ties in with what happened today."

"What do you mean?" my mom asked, sounding firm and in charge. She looked every bit the tribal elder she was in that moment and I couldn't be happier.

Alice began to pace as she shook her head. "It was focused on two wolves, one I recognized as Leah but I have no clue who the other one was. And I got the dist-"

"Another wolf?" Sam and I interrupted in unison, shock resonating clearly in our voices. The intense instinct to protect my sister flared so much so that I hadn't realized I'd stood up until Edward's cold fingers dug into my bicep. I was towering over Alice.

"Calm down." Her tinkling voice was firm and her honey colored eyes held my gaze. "That wasn't the only thing that threw me off, but I won't continue until both of you take a breath," she said, shooting Sam a look.

Sighing, I nodded and sat back down, urging her to go on. She did, only after Sam apologized and got back to his own seat.

"It felt more like a dream or something than a vision but there's no mistaking what it was."

"How can you be so sure?" my mom asked. I hadn't ever witnessed her so… alpha-like.

"It was a vision," Edward announced. "I've seen my fair share of many she has had in the years I've known her. All the physical reactions she goes through during visions happened but what she experienced really was out of the norm."

"Yeah, she spazzed out; it was a little freaky. You never really get used to it," I added, smiling a bit sheepishly at Alice. She shrugged.

"It's part of who I am. Anyway, I… I could see them, clearly." She was playing with her hands, pacing once again. "I've been getting better at seeing you wolves, Jake's pack better than yours Sam, but this was something else."

Edward stood up and wrapped an arm around his sister, looking pained as he held her. "In her visions, she never partakes in them. She's like a reader of a novel, witnessing all that happens without actually being present as it occurs in the pages."

He turned to face Alice with a frown but nodded and returned to his seat. The pain expressed in his face was reflected in his aura which darkened the longer he stared at his sister. When his eyes turned to me my body tensed in anticipation of what was to come.

"I know there were parts to it that I was missing but what I saw..." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I've never experienced anything like it. I wasn't above it. I wasn't outside of it. I was there, next to her. I felt the chill of the night like never before. I felt the wind whip around me, causing shivers to run up and down my arms but her warmth caressed me."

"Who?" I demanded, clenching my fists beneath the table.

"Leah," she whispered softly, looking torn. "She was so upset."

"Why? Why was my sister upset?"

"I- I don't know. Whatever made her like that was before the vision. She was snarling savagely but seemed to pause at something and relax. I looked around but I was the only one there. It was strange the way she behaved but before I could even begin to comprehend her, the other one showed up. I could see him clearly but didn't recognize him." It seemed like the longer she spent revisiting the vision, the more agitated she grew which reflected in her aura.

"What did the interloper look like?" my mom asked. Her body had stiffened and the colors around her dimmed. I wondered what she was thinking.

"It was-" She hesitated, nervously glancing around the room before sighing. "It was beautiful. His coat was the color of freshly fallen snow, longer and softer looking than I've seen among the packs from here. He looked more like a wolf version of an angel instead of the thing that made Leah instantly furious."

"What happened next?" Sam asked. His aura lost all traces of anger and gave way to worry and uncertainty. My stomach clenched painfully as I watched Alice closely.

"It was so confusing. I have never had this before. I believe I was sucked into Leah's mind, experiencing all her thoughts and emotions. She was frantic and afraid but it wasn't for her own life. She was also consumed with this blinding, primal hatred aimed at him. Her mind was so jumbled between her despair over you, her pack and family, and her unrelenting rage at the intruder, the threat. She needed to get to you, Seth and warn you he was there. She needed to protect Olivia from the beast. She needed to deal with the threat. She needed to tear into his throat and ensure everyone was safe." Alice was trembling, twitching like she wanted to get out of her skin. I watched her aura with fascination as it expanded, reminding me of the way a wolf's did before phasing. The vision she had seemed to have left some interesting side effects.

"Alice?" my mom inquired cautiously then narrowed her eyes. "Alice you need to calm down and continue. The story isn't over, is it?"

"No," came the weak reply. "We -Leah- attacked him. His blood was hot and tasted weird. He was strong but Leah was too. We were both surprised at just how strong she felt. I could feel everything she did." Alice moved to stand in front of my former alpha. "The way my vision ended left me wondering if Leah survived or not. Sam, something inside of Leah made her believe he wasn't going to be the only one. We're going to need your help. I know there's a lot of bad blood but please." She swallowed thickly.

"There are only two reasons I can't stand Jacob Black. The first is his tendency to act without thinking first and the second is his position as alpha. That said, those reasons aren't good enough to keep me from helping protect my family." Sam bowed his head a little before continuing. "Seth, you, Jake and your sister will always be my family, no matter what. And Renesmee's also family, which means the title extends to the other Cullens too." He hesitated then shook his head and sighed. "But I don't think the entire pack will be able to help. I can't leave the tribe unprotected and don't want to force anyone to risk their life against their will."

"I agree with Sam."

We all turned to look at my mom. Her face was set with determination, chin raised and shoulders squared. I saw so much of my sister in that moment that my heart squeezed painfully. I felt Edward's gaze on me but remained focused on my mom.

"Alice, do you have any time period that may help us? I'm certain that there are currently twenty active wolves on the rez and there may be more joining with your current presence on our lands. There's a great chance there won't be many though because my home is so far out from the others. This may actually be for the best. I imagine only those that were already close will finally be pushed to completion." She blinked slowly and frowned. "That sounded a little cold of me but I prefer knowing they'd be here, surrounded by the familiar instead of chancing a phase somewhere else where someone could get hurt. There's no doubt in my mind that they were already on their way. At least now we'll be on alert for them."

I relaxed as mom finished explaining herself. She knew firsthand how much turning into a wolf could utterly screw with someone's life. I knew she wouldn't wish that misery on anyone, no matter how much of an honor it was supposed to be.

"The best I can do is say that it started at the start of a sunset, most likely during the beginning of fall. Unlike most visions, I wasn't able to focus on anything other than Leah, and, while I was in her head, the other wolf."

"I'll set up a council meeting for later this afternoon and begin the arrangements. We have a good few months left to get everything planned out but I-I can't just sit by and wait." My mom sniffled a little, quickly wiping at her eyes before she stood and headed to the kitchen.

"Wait," Sam blurt out, jumping to his feet. "You said your vision had a relation to what happened today but never explained."

At this, Alice grew even more agitated than before, wringing her hands. Edward seemed to look any and everywhere other than at the rest of us.

"My visions don't work off of triggers; they're random without anything to motivate them... but when I caught the scent of Olivia's blood, the vision swallowed me whole."

Leah

"Idiot, idiot, idiot!" I growled, pacing back and forth. As soon as I stepped out of Olivia's room, I bolted out of the hospital, made my way to the closest patch of forest and phased. My clothes exploded off of me but I couldn't care less; the only thing I could think about was her rejection.

Ever since I made it to my backyard, I kept shifting from my human to wolf form and back. My emotions were too unsteady to remain one way or the other. I didn't know if I should have been mad at her because part of me felt a bit toyed with or maybe upset with myself for being too forward? Had I ruined my friendship with one of the most, if not the most, important person in my entire life?

I turned on my heel and slammed my fist into the nearest tree, feeling a brief sharp pain travel up my arm. A small grunt was the only noise I made before continuing my pacing.

All I could see was the look of horror in her eyes as she pulled away from me, as if I were some monster and not the person she'd started to confide in. I didn't understand!

If it was the only time I'd felt the spark with her or had gotten close to her in that way, it'd be easier to face. If she hadn't looked into my eyes with the same desire I felt on more than one occasion, then I could understand her better. If I didn't know that kissing her would be great for both of us, I'd be able to move on and attempt to fix things with her instead of having a meltdown.

"Leah?"

I didn't stop pacing, keeping my eyes low as I did my best not to snap at Ness. I didn't want to talk to her about what happened; I didn't want to talk to anyone.

"Leah, what happened?" she asked gently.

I stopped and shook my head, unable to fully ignore the pleading I heard in my best friend's voice. "Olivia," I rasped out, dropping to my knees. Tears swept down my face, burning tracks against my skin as they fell. I felt disgusting and pathetic crying but couldn't stop.

"Oh Leela," she sighed sadly, kneeling beside me. She wound her arms around me and wrapped herself around me, encasing me in her scent that reminded me of family. Neither of us cared about my nudity at that moment.

"Sh-she-" I shuddered and jumped away from Ness, doing my best not to explode so near her. My entire body shook so hard I knew I was simply a blur in the shape of a woman. I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling the burning heat of an impending phase build instantaneously before throwing myself further in the opposite direction as my best friend.

A howl ripped its way out of my body and filled the forest with its echo when I landed on my paws instead of feet. I looked down at my paws and felt tears stinging my eyes as I shook my head. I really was a monster.

I was the monster whose anger caused her father to die and brother to lose his chance at a normal life. I was the monster who tortured her newfound brothers because of something none of us could control. I was the monster whose death was celebrated at the end of the movie while the hero got the girl. I was the monster who would never be worthy of her soulmate's love.

Howl after howl tore out of me as I took off again, running blindly and slamming into trees. I was consumed with self-loathing thoughts, dating back from the time Sam first phased to my recent failure with Olivia. Why was imprinting such a curse for me?

Why did I give in and... and fall in love with her?

A/N: I'm happy to post this. I've been doing better with my writing and that makes me feel good. I'm very grateful to all of you who read and enjoy this and it makes me smile like a true loon when I read reviews. The next chapter is already churning around in my head. It may or may not be a bunch of fluffy-ish flashbacks. I'm still trying to figure out how I really wanna proceed. Anywho, thanks y'all for reading (:

Bee Tea Dubs, if Alice seems too OOC it's gonna be further discussed later on.