Resurrection.

Chapter Five: The Moment.

"She's a plastic slut, and you're just another jumped-up Alpha with a hard on for every wrong female that wiggles her hips your way."

Leah snapped back, a smirk on her lips as she did so. She couldn't help it. She knew she should have answered truthfully, but whenever she had felt vunerable she fell back onto her old defenses of lashing out at others.

Seth could see through her aggressive behaviour now, and realised exactly what she was doing so when she responded he couldn't help but give her a disbelieving look. This was her imprint - how could she speak to him that way? Besides, she had said she wanted to find her imprint, and Seth was pretty sure Leah did want her own happy ever after. So why on earth wasn't she grabbing this situation by the horns and not letting go? He just didn't understand it.

However Alcide's response surprised the both of them.

"So its personal between us then? Would you like me to guess?"

He asked as he leaned back in the armchair he was sat on, his fingers steepled as he eyed the firey young woman.

Leah was rather shocked, surprised, and stunned. Normally when she lashed out - granted she may not have been as cutting as usual due to his status with her - they got hurt and lashed out back at her. Most of them got angry whilst others cried. Some even walked away. A few even tried to guess what her problem was (most just assumed Sam was her issue back in La Push). None had ever cut through her bullshit and gotten to the point of it all. Not until Alcide, and she really didn't know how to feel about that.

"I'm guessing whatever happened between my sister and your brother could be what is going on between us."

Alcide added when Leah failed to respond to him.

How could he be so perceptive? It stunned Leah that he could read right through all her defenses and see the truth. She wasn't sure how to react. She knew she couldn't hurt her imprint, or she could but it would hurt her worse for being the cause, and besides attacking the cause of her discomfort she couldn't remember any other way she dealt with it before. Usually it was attack, leave, then drink as much alcohol as possible before she passed out which was a lot with her supernatural metabolism.

The last time she dealt with it like a normal human was during the period she dated Sam. What did she do then? Briefly she remembered talking it out with him but just the thought of really talking to anyone, even Seth, made her want to run very fast and for a very long time. Leah definately felt way out of her depth.

Feeling more trapped by the minute, Leah's gaze started to dart around the room in a desperate attempt to figure a way out. At this point she was just considering jumping out the window (although she didn't want to cause her imprint more stress and work to deal with by breaking the glass so she was hesitating with that option) and making a run for it. She had a feeling though that Alcide would come after her and maybe even her brother. It also wouldn't stop him from finding out as Alcide next mentioned;

"Even if you don't tell me I am sure your brother will, but I'd much rather hear it from you."

Yes, she was feeling so very cornered right now. Normally in this situation she'd attack either through vicious wordplay or physically with her wolf's teeth and claws. Neither felt right to do to her imprint though and that was leaving Leah feeling all confused as well as like a boat without a paddle (or oar).

"Why the fuck should I tell you anything?!"

Leah snarled, instantly on the defensive as she grabbed onto her anger like it was a lifejacket whilst she was in wild open seas. It felt like she was in a wild open sea, with a storm threatening overhead, and Alcide was in the middle of it with her like a mighty Poseidon. She could embrace the imprint and tell him what he wanted to know, seeking shelter within him, or fight him every step of the way and risk drowning herself in the process. For Leah, it was a tough choice and one she really did not want to make.

Seth wanted to help by telling Alcide everything, but instinct was warring within him. Alcide was a Packmaster, the Alpha, and as of yet had not asked Seth for the information he wanted to know. Not only that but Seth knew what was going on. He knew what Leah refused to tell Alcide. Alcide may not realise it, but he was her imprint and therefore they were mates. Getting inbetween mates, especially a strong pair (let alone THE Alpha pair), was not something you did unless you wished for death or other severe punishments such as exile. Other wolves in the Pack, which Seth knew he would officially be now he had his own imprint that was related to one of the Pack, supported the Alpha pair. They did not get inbetween them. Therefore, Seth knew he could do nothing but beg Leah with his eyes just to confess all. He just didn't understand why she refused to do so. Alcide really seemed to like her (or at least be interested in her) so it was highly unlikely he'd reject her or their bond. Plus, he as an Alpha male wolf and Seth had always felt that Leah was an Alpha female wolf herself (not that she ever got the chance to prove that thus far).

She was stood now, having stood when she had snarled at him, every muscle she had flexing with her fists clenched as she stared Alcide right in the eye. She was challenging him and they both knew it. Hell, even Seth knew it and he could be pretty oblivious sometimes. A rumble started to build within Alcide's chest, his instincts telling him to make this female submit regardless of what she was or could be to them.

The thought of 'Didn't we just do this?' (at least when it came to her challenging him for dominance) crossed Alcide's mind briefly before he lunged at her. Leah, more out of instinct then anything else since she was feeling shock at the sight of him lunging for her, managed to dodge him by mere inches as she stepped to the side. She sprinted off shortly after out of the room and down the hallway towards the front door with Alcide right behind her. The second the door was flung open and she had pushed off with her feet to leap out of the doorway she phased. By the time she was in mid-leap she was outside and in her silvery grey wolf form. By the time she landed on the ground that was a mix of dusty sand and lush grass, Alcide had shifted into his wolf form as well and had his teeth inches away from being able to grab onto her fluffy grey tail.

Leah did what she did best when fighting and bitching didn't work; running.

She ran as fast as her legs would carry her and fully expected to leave Alcide in her dust. She was shocked when she saw a snow white muzzle out of the corner of her eye. So shocked she tripped, over air as Alcide would later tease with her but she'd always insist it was a hidden tree root, causing the rest of her body to fall over her head so she ended up landing flat on her back with dust rising from the impact. It was a comical cartwheel for such a large lupine to perform, especially with Leah's stunned expression at seeing Alcide, so it was probably fortunate for Leah that only she and Alcide saw it happen.

Alcide pounced on her the second her back landed on the ground, effectively pinning her with his front paws pressing lightly but firmly on her throat whilst he growled at her, ears pinned to his skull. Clearly Leah wasn't going to get away, despite her rabid snarling as well as her own ears pinned back whilst she struggled as much as she could from her position.

In La Push, Leah was the smallest wolf in the Pack. Here, with the other kind of lupine shapeshifters, Leah was as large as a pony. Here, she actually matched the size of the stronger Packmasters, or Alphas as she'd always called them, and so despite Alcide never being able to match up to the likes of Seth or Jacob when it came to sheer height and mass, it did not look so odd with Alcide in wolf form pinning Leah in wolf form. It helped to sooth Leah's ego that Alcide as a Packmaster was stronger then his own kind, and even without that he would be able to take any of her kind in a fight. He was just as strong, fast, with the same heightened senses and stamina. It also helped out of wolf form, Alcide was all man and definately looked like he could take any of her kind - even Jacob with all of his massive bronze bulk.

In the end, Leah ended up limp as she panted heavily, having been unable to shift Alcide off from his perch on top of her. Seeing she had given up, Alcide lightened up the weight he put on his front paws before shifting them down a few inches to reveal the point where her neck met her shoulder. A look into her eyes showed she knew what he was going to do, and for the first time Leah knew she could do nothing to stop him. For the first time she didn't fight tooth and claw against a male trying to dominate her. Instead, she closed her eyes and tilted her head so her neck was more visable as for the first time since Sam and Emily shattered her heart, she willingly submitted.

Alcide did not know how big this moment was, although he suspected, as he slid his teeth through the fur and skin of that point between neck and shoulder.

Seth however, who had turned up moments before Leah showed herself willingly submitting, saw the whole thing. He ended up with tears watering the corners of his eyes as he wished both of their parents could have been here to see this moment. Screw the wedding day and walking down the aisle which could happen in the future, to Seth this was the most perfect, romantic, and heart warming scene he could have ever imagined.

It was the moment that everything changed. It was the moment Leah-fucking-Clearwater grabbed life by the genitalia and made it clear she was not going to let it pass her by any more.

It was the moment Leah, Seth's big sister who he absolutely adored, accepted the imprint bond and everything that went with it.

And he couldn't have been more proud.


Author's Note: A bit shorter then my recent chapters, but it was filled with all the good necessary bits. Of course just because she accepted the imprint bond doesn't mean its going to be a walk in the park. It is Leah after all!

Enjoy =)