Sam wasn't sure whether to be relieved or dismayed when the phasing of Jared Cameron interrupted Leah's grieving process. For him it was almost a welcome distraction. The week after Harry's funeral was confusing to say the least. Leah's mood shifted on a dime. One minute she would be smiling at him in her usual exuberant manner, but then she would notice his distraction or remember that she would not be able to tell her father about whatever entertaining thought had passed through her mind, and her face would fall. Or she would catch sight of a box stacked in the corner of her room, one that she had already begun packing to take to the dormitory, which she did not have the energy to unpack, and she would grow angry. Sam didn't know how to reassure her; he could not tell her that everything was going to get better, because he didn't know if it was true. He didn't think it was appropriate to question her feeling of loss, because the world really was a poorer place without Harry Clearwater in it. And words did not exist that could convince her that his death was not her fault.

Of course, it didn't help that he could barely comfort her in the ways that should have been available to him. The imprint was too restrictive. Although he was able to speak the truth through their mental connection as wolves, his throat closed if he said anything too intimate to Leah with words. Sometimes he could say more, sometimes almost nothing at all, and it drove him mad. Why would he be able to tell her she was important to him in one moment, but the next, could not tell her that he liked the way her new haircut bared her shoulders? Why would he be able to pull her against him and envelop her in a warm hug, but not be able to kiss her soft lips? Thoughts would appear in his mind, but somewhere between formation and execution they would become sidetracked, confused, or simply snuffed out. He would become distracted by an Emily-filled trance in which he contemplated the length of her fingers or the size of her waist or the sound of her voice. An indeterminate amount of time later he would blink himself awake with the sensation of Leah's fingers on his cheek or knee and a hooded expression on her face. "Are you here with me, Sammy?" she would ask. The pieces of his heart that still remained to him broke a little bit each time.

He noticed a strange pattern. Although the strength of the imprint seemed to grow or recede throughout the day, at night he almost felt free. He was never quite able to say, "I love you," but he showed her with his body what he was unable to tell her in words. Careful not to disturb the fitfully sleeping Sue, he would take her by the hand and lead her down the stairs and out the door.

Some nights they were patient enough to make their way to the cave at Third Beach, where they left sleeping bags. He would make slow, deliberate love to her, worshipping her breasts, running his fingers over the soft flesh of her belly, kissing his way down her spine, and tasting the mark he had left on her neck as he moved inside of her. He would use measured, even strokes that drove her mad, from time to time gently circling at the juncture of her thighs with the pads of his fingers. During these encounters, he would try to prolong their pleasure as long as possible, wanting to stay in her body, since here, at least, everything made sense. He would bring her to the brink again and again. Sometimes he would still his hips to keep himself from climaxing as he relished the sound of her pleading for relief. Other times he would use his fingers or cock to nurse her through orgasm after orgasm. He kept his eyes open the entire time, because he did not want to forget who was beneath him.

More often, though, the wolf was too eager to take its enticing packmate, the man urgently needed to express himself in the only way that was left to him, and she was desperate for the human connection of their bodies and for the distraction from the black thoughts threatening to consume her. On those nights they barely made it out of the house and behind the shed or into the tree line before they tore each other's clothes off. Sam's characteristic patience would fail him, and his movements would be rough and demanding. He would work his frustrations out on her sensuous, hot form. Sometimes he had difficulty keeping track of where he ended and the wolf began, as the wolf's lust was even stronger than the man's. The sex was raw and animalistic, wild and uncontrolled.

Their coupling usually culminated in his cock driven as deeply inside of her pussy as he could go, and his teeth buried in the salty skin of her neck. He was torn, because although he wanted to look in her eyes the entire time, an act which ensured that he knew which woman he was with, his wolf demanded that she be on her knees, her beautiful ass presented to him, her neck bared. He hated himself for it, but he did not know how to stop. So he would keep her face to face for as long as he could hold out, either driving her back into the ground and mounting her, or pulling her into his lap, or shoving her up against the shed and wrapping her legs around him, until he could last no longer and had to flip her over and push her onto all fours.

He struggled with shame over his treatment of her, but she did not seem to mind, nor did she make any distinction between fucking and making love. He felt a difference because of the wolf inside him and the imprint trying to pull him away, but she knew he was giving as much of himself as he could. She understood that he needed to feel her every bit as much as she needed him. And no matter how rough their mating, he always held her gently and kissed her cheeks and lips sweetly when they lay together, after, in her childhood bed. They would fall asleep entwined together, but by morning, he had always separated himself from her, turning his back to her. She reacted with disappointment, but she also did what he had asked her to do. She would wrap her arms around him, kiss his shoulders or his neck, and remind him who they both were.

But she couldn't stop the days from being a struggle. Twice he considered chaining himself to a radiator to keep himself from phasing and running to Neah Bay. He might have done it if he didn't know how easily he could break through chains. Leah picked up on his vexation and sat quietly with him, holding his hands in hers. He gripped her so tightly that if she had been fully human, the bones in her fingers would have snapped. Eventually he pulled her into his lap, brushed her short hair aside, and buried his nose in the mark on her neck. It calmed him, and eventually the urges faded as quickly as they had arrived. He was as confused as he was frustrated. What was going on?

Several days after the funeral, he finally began to understand. He was cutting a hole in the Clearwaters' basement ceiling; a leak had sprung in the garbage disposal above. Harry had fixed the leak before his death, but there was patch of damaged drywall underneath which Sam decided to fix. He had been ignoring the imprint all morning long, but the pull in his gut was becoming irresistible. It grew stronger and stronger while he carefully opened a hole in the ceiling, cut a matching piece of fresh drywall, and pushed it into place. By the time he had opened the spackle, he could barely think straight. Emily's face kept appearing in his mind. He replayed the sound of her voice in his ear. He imagined what she might be doing at that very moment. He might have picked up the phone to call her if Leah hadn't been sitting on the floor next to him with her laptop. She was researching online degrees to see figure out if there was a realistic way for either of them to take college classes while they were still struggling with their wolves. Her questions and comments managed to break through his Emily haze until the phone rang.

It was Emily. He dropped the spackle knife when when she said a tentative hello, and he fell to his knees beside Leah. He didn't need to lean toward the receiver to hear; every word was crystal clear.

"Hey, Em." Leah uncharacteristically chewed at her bottom lip.

"Leah? I... How are you?"

Leah chuckled nervously. "Well, you know. As well as can be expected, I guess."

Sam wanted to rip the phone out of her hand and talk to Emily himself. Instead, Leah reached for his shaking hand. He should have been embarrassed about how clammy his palm was. "I thought we should talk," Emily offered, "but I don't really know what to say."

"There's no script for this conversation," Leah agreed.

"Just tell me. Are you actually doing okay? I'm worried about you."

Leah shook her head and looked at the ceiling. She stared at the makeshift patch under the leak. "Do you really need to ask? The past couple weeks weren't exactly what I was hoping they'd be. It's been hard, you know?"

Suddenly it felt as if the cables tethering Sam to Emily loosened. "I'm so sorry," Emily whispered.

Leah's eyes began to fill with tears, but she blinked them back. "I just miss him, that's all."

Then the imprint yanked on him so hard that Sam became dizzy. He doubled over as Leah looked at him in alarm. Emily misinterpreted her. "Oh, Leah. I'm so sorry. When was the last time you saw him? Where did he go?"

Leah frowned, her tears suddenly forgotten. She placed her hand on his shoulder, trying to help him up. "Um, at the funeral? The day he went into the ground? What kind of a question is that, Em?"

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry! I thought you meant Sam! I haven't seen or heard from him since then, you know."

"I know. He's been with me." Unable to right him, she had pulled his head into her lap and was stroking his hair gently. The dizziness turned to vertigo, and stars began to swim in front of his closed eyes. He tried to focus on the sensation of Leah's fingers along his scalp.

Emily sounded shocked. "He... He has?"

"Almost twenty-four, seven," Leah answered.

There was a long pause. Sam broke out in a sweat. "I thought... I mean... I didn't know what to think after what he said at the funeral."

"Me neither." Leah's face was drawn and her voice was tight.

Emily seemed to find her voice. Once she started talking, she raced along, eager to get each sentence out before Leah cut her off. "The whole thing was totally screwed up, Leah. I'm so mad at him for saying anything. It was completely inappropriate, and it came from nowhere, it's not like I ever thought of him that way, and I can't believe he picked your dad's funeral to talk to me. I mean, seriously? You know I'm not interested in him, right?" Sam's heart started pounding, and his chest began to ache. "I mean, he's your boyfriend. Your fiance, for god's sake! I'd never try to take him from you, you know that, right? You know me, and you know I'd never do that to you. He could be the last man on earth, and I wouldn't." The ache turned into terrible stabbing, but he hoped she meant what she said.

"I know," Leah said quietly. She kept stroking his hair rhythmically.

"And it wasn't him, he wasn't himself when he said it," Emily added. "Did he... Did he tell you?"

"He showed me everything." Leah's voice was deceptively even.

There was another long pause. It felt like an eternity, especially when the imprint began to drag at him more strongly than it ever had before. "What did he say?"

Leah trailed her fingers down his cheek in a tender gesture. "That it was the imprint. That it wasn't really him."

The stabbing sensation spread from his chest to his gut to his limbs. "You know about the imprint?"

"Of course."

"And you're..."

Leah bent down and kissed his forehead. It didn't really matter what Emily's unspoken question was. "I'm in love with him. And he's in love with me. Like we've always been."

Sam's vision began to darken, but it only lasted for several seconds. Suddenly he could breathe again. "Oh, I'm glad for you," Emily said. Sam could hear her voice trembling. "For both of you. You shouldn't have had to lose him, not now, not right after what happened."

"He's been pretty great," Leah smiled down at him. "I'm not sure what I'd do without him. He keeps me company, keeps me from wallowing too much. Orients me to the wolf stuff, too."

"That's good. I'm glad you're not alone."

Sam took her hand from his cheek and kissed her fingertips one by one. The imprint pull wasn't gone, not by any means, but he felt no need to rush to Emily's side. "No. I actually haven't had a minute to myself in a while. But I don't mind."

"Wait, is he there right now?" Emily squeaked.

Leah kept her eyes trained on his as she answered, "Yeah. His head's in my lap."

Sam found his voice. "You make a good pillow." He was sure Emily heard him.

"Oh my gosh. I should let you go!"

"No, that's okay, I'm glad you called."

"Me too, but I've got to go, okay? We'll talk later?"

Sam let his hand creep around her hip and to the soft skin of her waist. The pain was gone. "Sure. Give me a call when you're not busy."

He made certain that she had hung up before he pushed her back and climbed on top of her.

X-x-x-x-X

Of course, there was more to be done besides grieving, coupling, and discussing their relationship. Sam would have completely forgotten to check in with his mother had Leah not reminded him to do so. He tried to tell himself that it was because of how chaotic their lives had become, but the truth was that when the imprint took over, it made Emily his only priority, and he only managed to keep Leah through sheer force of will. He remembered how he ought to feel about his family, was able to go through the motions and put on an act, but in reality he felt only as connected to them as he was to mere acquaintances.

Sue took over Harry's council spot and insisted that they formalize the treaty with Carlisle. The task had been set aside in the wake of Harry's death. Sue nearly did it single-handedly, suggesting that she simply meet Dr. Cullen in his office at the hospital, as they were concerned about the safety of the tiny pack against the larger coven. The rest of the Council forbid it, but her plan that they meet the leader alone in the neutral ground of the hospital was a good compromise. So Sam drove Leah and Billy Black, as chief of the tribe, for an awkward meeting. Both Leah and Sam struggled against the primal instinct to phase when the vampire's disgusting scent reached their nostrils, but they held still. And as difficult as it was to calm their inner wolves, the fact remained that the doctor had been the one to save Leah's life when Sam himself threatened it. As soon as Billy finished introducing himself, Leah stiffly thanked Carlisle for his care of her after her injury, and Dr. Cullen looked genuinely thrilled at her recovery. He was awed by her unmarred cheek and neck, exclaiming that her recovery speed and total lack of scarring was unlike anything he had seen in his long career. He actually reached out in an unwelcome attempt to touch the area until she involuntarily growled and Sam stepped between them with a snarl. The doctor quickly backed up and gave his apologies.

Billy intervened, clearing his throat and broaching the topic of the treaty. After that, discussion was quick. They made no attempts to change terms, other than adding the new members of the coven. Sam and Leah thought the conversation was over, but Billy leaned forward and looked pointedly at Carlisle. "I'm told that one of your coven members has taken a special interest in Isabella Swan."

The placid expression on Carlisle's face slipped momentarily. "Yes, Edward. My son."

"What does he intend with the girl? You do understand that any violation of the child is a violation of the treaty, don't you?"

For the second time during the conversation, Dr. Cullen looked flustered. "She is very important to him. To us. And she is not a child."

Billy's frown deepened. "How old is Edward?"

"Seventeen." Carlisle had gathered himself together again.

"And in what year was he born as a human?"

The vampire could no longer meet Billy's gaze. "1901," he admitted.

"Then to him, she is most definitely a child. What is his interest in her?"

Carlisle sighed. "To be honest, he is in love with her. In a century, he hasn't shown this kind of interest in anyone. There is something special about her."

"I have known her since she was an infant. She is a special girl. You should be careful that she stays that way." They did not wait for a response before leaving.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Sam asked, "What was that all about?"

Billy's face was grave. "Do you know her?"

Leah answered, "Chief Swan's daughter, right?"

Billy nodded. "She seems to have some involvement with the coven. It worries me. I don't know what they're after, but she is still alive, and apparently unharmed. For now, although she ran away for a little while last spring. Terrified her father. I was afraid she'd never come back, or come back as one of them, but she's human at the moment. I'm afraid it won't stay that way for long if one of them thinks he's in love with her."

"Does she need our protection?" Leah asked. "Do they have some kind of power over her?"

Billy answered, "I don't know. There are tales of certain Cold Ones having special powers. But even if this isn't the case, they are all dangerous. Not just because her father has a lot of concerns, but because of their very natures. They are excellent predators. They lure their prey with their looks and their charm. I wonder if she has been fed some lies about them, or if they hold some sway over her."

"Is it common for them to become involved with humans?" Sam asked.

"You mean besides murdering them?" Billy answered dryly. "I have no idea. Although the fact that they do manage to create new vampires from time to time suggests that it happens, doesn't it?"

Sam frowned. "How does that work, exactly?"

"If a vampire bites a human without killing it, the human will turn. I'm afraid that the vampire preying on Bella might be seducing her into something like that, or that he'll simply eat her. I've spoken with her father about it, but he hasn't made any headway in convincing her to separate from the coven."

Sam asked, "Her father, does he know what they are?"

"No. I want to tell him, but it's a violation of the treaty to reveal their identities, and up until now we had no protectors to defend the tribe from their retaliation. I've been worried about her, and I even sent my son to talk to her last spring, but he didn't make any headway. Of course, I couldn't tell him what was going on either. It's very worrisome. It sounds like she is in their thrall."

Leah shuddered. She couldn't imagine being attracted to a vampire, although if she had to set aside her innate disgust, she supposed Carlisle did appear handsome. If her own instincts hadn't warned her away, would she know to keep her distance? "They must do a decent job of blending in somewhat if they go to high school. It's frightening, monsters sitting right next to their prey. We can't let them stay here forever. Sooner or later, someone's going to get hurt. If not Bella, someone else."

Sam looked at her, loathe to think of LeeLee being put in a position of having to fight one of the creatures. "It's two against seven, and I don't see them leaving just because we ask."

Billy sighed heavily. "No, but it the odds might change."

"Should we be keeping an eye out for someone?" Sam asked. "Right away, I mean?"

"I'm not certain. I've been trying to keep tabs on Jared and Paul, but their parents aren't very forthcoming. The best we can do is get information from Mrs. Lowery at the school. I'm not too concerned about the girls, despite Leah proving us all wrong, since Jared's sister is much younger. My girls aren't anywhere nearby. Jacob's growing like a weed, and he's bulking up, but his temperature is completely normal. Quil's just starting a growth spurt."

"Shouldn't we tell them what's about to happen?" Leah suggested.

Billy was at a loss. "That's just the thing, we don't know if it's about to happen or not. I'd hate to frighten them, or look like a madman, or expose the two of you, if it doesn't happen. And what would we tell them about the vampires? It's a violation of the treaty to tell anyone about them, and the boys aren't pack yet."

"Still, it can't be better to just wait until someone else explodes," Sam retorted.

"That's certainly true," Billy answered. "Let me talk to the council."

"What about Bella?" Leah prodded. "Someone ought to warn her what she's getting herself into."

She thought about doing it herself, but she didn't get the chance. Soon she was too busy helping Jared Cameron. Sam thought they should wait for the council's permission to talk to the other potential shifters, but Leah scoffed. She thought it was cruel not to warn them. And as far as she was concerned, it was her own unexpected phasing that had killed Harry. Compounded with her injuries at Sam's hand, she believed that it was only a matter of time until an unexpected phase resulted in exposure, another mauling, or both. So she took it upon herself to investigate the likely candidates.

Sam went with her. They spent the next couple days searching out the descendants of the last pack. Leah joked that they were stalkers; Sam said they were being responsible. They peeked in on Paul first, mainly because he was skipping school and his house was close to the woods, making him very easy to spy on. They arrived at nine thirty in the morning. His father was gone, as usual, and they could see him through his window, fast asleep while sprawled out on his bed. Sam thought they should murder him in his sleep to pay him back for his disgusting fantasies about Leah. At the very least, he deserved castration. He contemplated ways to torture Paul while Leah walked around the house. She led Sam to the back porch, where she overturned nearby rocks until she came up with the spare key. "Aha!"

"How'd you know that was there?" he frowned.

"He told me it was there." Sam's eyes narrowed at her explanation. "He told me that if I ever needed him, I could get in this way."

"Why would you need him?"

"I wouldn't." She shrugged. "I thought we were just talking. I did wonder why he thought I'd come into his house. I mean, if I needed him for something, I'd just call him, right?"

Sam couldn't hold back his growl. "He was hitting on you, LeeLee. He was offering himself up for a booty call."

She rolled her eyes. "I see that now, after you told me about the underwear thing. But I didn't know it at the time. I thought he was being friendly."

He grumbled, "He probably loves the naive, innocent thing, too. But he wants to corrupt you."

The grin she threw his way was impossibly sexy. "He doesn't know you've taken away my innocence already." Then she silently opened the door.

She was careful to move as quietly as possible. They could hear Paul's even, deep breathing, and they knew they had not woken him. Leah crept across his bedroom floor and placed a hand on his exposed shoulder. His skin was cool to the touch. She turned to Sam and mouthed the word, "No."

But Sam wasn't looking. He had opened Paul's dresser and was poking through the contents. Leah appeared at his side. Too quietly for a human to hear, she whispered, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to find them." At her bewildered look, he clarified, "Your panties."

A look of comprehension crossed her face, which then turned into anger and disgust. She opened the closet and searched through the pile of dirty clothes on the floor, wrinkling her nose and poking through them with her foot. But she came up empty. When she turned around, Sam had opened Paul's nightstand and was using a pencil to fish out the defiled panties. He contemplated shoving them down Paul's throat and choking him to death with them, but Leah was looking in the nightstand, and she had a wicked look on her face. She retrieved a bottle of lotion. An evil smirk touched her lips, and she moved away, beckoning Sam to come out the door with her. He took the panties with every intent of burning them.

"What is it? What are you going to do?" he whispered.

She just winked at him and walked into the kitchen. Carefully she searched the contents of the pantry and the cabinets, and he watched in fascination. Eventually she found what she was looking for: a small bottle of Tabasco sauce. She unscrewed the cap from the lotion bottle and poured in a generous amount before shaking the contents until they were well mixed. Sam barely managed to contain his laughter. By the time she was finished, the sauce had blended in so well with the lotion that only a close inspection of the color that would reveal that it was tainted. Together they snuck back into the bedroom, replaced the lotion, and left.

Once they were well out of earshot, both of them collapsed into giggles. "How long do you think it'll take him to find it?" she asked.

Sam grinned at her. "That little pervert? I think we'll find out as soon as he wakes up."

"Seriously?"

"He's alone, and he's apparently not planning on going to class today. What else is he gonna do?"

"Is every teenage guy a horny perv?"

He looked at the leaves above her head and scratched at the back of his neck. "Uhhh..."

She smirked at him. "How often do you do that?"

His eyes bugged out. What was the correct answer to her question? Was he supposed to say that he didn't? The truth was actually not that often now that he spent most of his time with her. But long ago, before they started dating, or any night they spent apart, he fantasized about her constantly. "Well, I'm... um... I..."

She stood on her tiptoes and trailed her fingers down his arm. Her breath was hot on his neck. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. Everyone does. I do too, you know."

His mouth went dry. "You do?" he croaked.

"When I miss you, I do," she whispered.

He went from embarrassed to horny in no time flat, so he lifted Leah by her waist and shoved her against the nearest tree. He was buried inside her before he had the chance to ask her to show him, but neither of them minded. He nearly forgot where they were, but several minutes later, Paul's agonized screams reminded him. Sam was so startled that he totally lost his rhythm, then he lost his balance, and then he was sprawled out on the forest floor with Leah shaking with mirth on top of him. It was a wonderful feeling, as was the sight of her breasts jiggling above his face.

"Oh, did we ever get him!" she crowed.

He held her by her hips to still her so he could thrust up more forcefully. "You're... mmm... a genius... baby... ohhh... I hope... I don't... make you... mad..."

"Oooh." She locked her hands against his chest for balance and tossed her head back. "Just... don't... stop... and we're... oooh... good!"

X-x-x-x-X

The prank they pulled on Paul was enough to infuriate him, but not enough to turn him into a wolf (a consequence they had not contemplated until it was far too late). Jared, on the other hand, was a different story. He attended classes that day, a good sign that he wasn't sick enough for an imminent phase, but the very next day his mother called in with a high fever. Leah and Sam wanted to speak with him and give him warning, but several council members were reluctant. They worried that he might have a common virus and would be told for no reason at all. Sue thought they were being shortsighted at best and dangerously foolish at worst. Uncontrolled phasing was nothing to treat casually, she argued. If it had not been for Leah's supernatural healing abilities, she would be scarred for life or simply dead. She thought it was a miracle that no one other than Harry, Sam, and Dr. Cullen had witnessed Leah's phase, and Harry had not made it out of that experience alive. Would they chance that Jared might accidentally hurt one of his parents? His younger sister? And what of the poor boy himself? What was to stop him from destroying his home in his panic or running off as Sam had? What would his parents think of him when he had to run out of the house in order to avoid phasing in the living room? At the very least, it would create terrible tension in the family. Someone might even lose their life.

Eventually everyone conceded to her wisdom. She offered to provide supervision herself. She would go with Sam or Leah to explain the situation to his family, and if he was willing, would remove him from the house until the danger passed. She could watch over him in a controlled environment, and they could make his transition as easy as possible.

Old Quil even suggested a location. One of his neighbors had recently passed away, leaving behind a cabin, a car, a small savings account, and no will to indicate who might take possession of his estate. He had no living relatives, so his home was set to be auctioned off and the proceeds were to come back to the council. Why not make it available for the protectors?

This solution satisfied everyone, and they all agreed that Jared should not await his transformation in his own home. But Sue's assertion that she explain the situation to his family was met with fear and hostility. Several members were afraid of exposure, although no one tried to claim that covering up the truth was ideal. Sue just rolled her eyes. "If we don't take control of who knows, what they know, and how they find out, then they're going to find out the way I did, when one of the pack phases right in front of them. Maybe some of you don't know exactly what happened to my daughter." She yanked Leah to the forefront of the room and reached up to touch her cheek. "We found out when Sam ripped her up from here to here." At Leah's neck, she paused. "Do you know what's under here? The carotid artery. The jugular vein. The only reason she's alive after that is because her own wolf healing kicked in. If she weren't a protector herself, she'd probably be dead. Now, I'm not trying to say we should tell the girlfriends and acquaintances of every potential protector, but if we give them a little support by telling their parents, this is going to be a lot safer for everyone. And if we don't tell them, I'll bet it's just a matter of time before a parent yells at a protector for disappearing all the time, sets off a phase, and something like this happens again. For god's sake, when I saw Sam's wolf for the first time, I nearly put a bullet in his brain!"

There really was no argument after that. The elders agreed to monitor all the young descendants of the last pack, male and female, and notify Sue immediately of any febrile illness. Conveniently, the tribal school principal, Mrs. Lowery, was a member and could easily track them. Sue would take the liberty of evaluating and potentially isolating them with Sam and Leah's assistance, and together they would help the new wolf in whatever way they could. The council gave her the title of public health officer as a cover.

At the end of the meeting, as Sue was set to go to Jared's home to check on him, Billy and Old Quil pulled Sam aside. The older man frowned at Sam. "You arrived here with the Clearwater girl." Sam just nodded, and Billy looked up at him with a puzzled expression on his face.

"My fiancé," Sam answered steadily. He managed to sound more confident about it than he felt. Thankfully, since Leah's conversation with Emily, the pull of the imprint had faded. It was not gone by any means; he felt it wrapped around his throat like a noose, but he no longer felt like he was choking without Emily nearby. He was grateful for whatever was responsible, and he suspected but it was Emily herself.

Old Quil blinked at him. "You're still planning on getting married?"

"Of course," he bristled. He didn't feel like justifying himself to these men.

Billy simply looked bewildered. "And she knows about the imprint?"

"She can read my mind. What do you think?"

Old Quil shook his head. "And she's okay with it? She doesn't think that it matters?"

"Of course she thinks that matters. Of course she wishes it didn't happen." He wanted to add, just like I do, but couldn't say that out loud. "But she knows me, and she knows how I feel about her, and how much I want to get married."

Billy sighed and said, "I really don't understand. It doesn't make any sense."

Old Quil was more blunt. "This goes against everything the legends tell us."

Leah appeared at Sam's side and linked her arm in his. "The legends also told you that only men turn into wolves. So it looks like they didn't tell you everything."

Billy nodded thoughtfully. "That's certainly true. It makes you wonder what else we don't know. Maybe your relationship is different because you're a protector too. Or maybe we've lost some stories about imprinting along the way. After all, we really don't know what it's for."

Old Quil scowled. "Of course we do. They do too. They just haven't accepted it." He eyed Leah. Clearly he blamed her for it. As far as he was concerned, she was an anomaly at best, and an abomination at worst.

Sam couldn't stand talking to them anymore, but to drive home his point, he bent his head to kiss Leah softly on her lips as the gathered audience watched in surprise. "Let's go, baby, I think your mom might need us soon."

Indeed she did. Sue didn't waste any time. They immediately drove to the Cameron house. She glanced at Sam in the passenger seat. "When we're done here, you should tell your mother."

"I don't think they gave me permission for that," Sam answered.

Sue smiled sardonically. "Sometimes it's better to ask for forgiveness than for permission."

It was late enough in the evening that everyone was home. Sue knocked alone, leaving Sam and Leah in the car. He crammed himself into the back seat to be closer to Leah. They could hear Sue easily until Jared's mother let her in; after that there were too many layers of doors and walls between them.

Sam reached out to put his arm around Leah, who tucked herself into his side. They didn't speak. Sam ignored the imprint's instinct to scoot away from her, and he wondered what Emily was doing at that very moment. He hoped it was something that made her happy, but something told him that she wasn't. Was there a way to make her happy without betraying Leah?

A small kiss on the side of his neck distracted him after several minutes. "What are you thinking about?"

"Worrying." It was the truth, anyway.

"About Jared?" He remained silent. "About Emily, then."

He nodded. "I'm sorry. I can't help it. I kind of have the feeling she's not doing so great right now."

"You can tell?" Leah asked.

"Yeah. It's strange. Like right now I know she's not in trouble, but she's not happy either."

"What does it feel like?"

"Unsettling," he admitted. "I just know. Sometimes I feel like I should go up there and try to help out."

"How? In what way?"

"I'm not sure. I don't know exactly what I'm supposed to do. It's just this tugging in my gut."

Leah was worried. "I guess I felt that in your mind. I even had half a mind to check on her myself. But you're sure she's not in trouble?"

"No, nothing like that. I'd know it if she was."

"Was that what happened when I was on the phone with her? You were in pain. Like, physical pain. Even if I hadn't seen it in your mind later, it was all over your face. You were hurting."

"It wasn't that bad," he lied.

He could practically feel her rolling her eyes beside him. "Sam, come on. Even if I didn't know you like the back of my hand, I'd be able to tell. It was so obvious."

"But I'm okay, right? I'm right here with you." He wanted to add, right where I want to be, but he couldn't say it. He squeezed her tighter.

The gears were turning in her brain. He was worried about what she might say next. Eventually she asked quietly, "Do you need to check on her? Go up there?" He nearly blurted out yes, but she made another suggestion. "Should we talk to her together? Make sure she's okay?"

It was a terrible idea, and he knew it. Part of the reason he was able to resist Emily was the distance between them. Preserving it was key to salvaging his relationship with Leah. He battled the urge to agree. Thankfully, Sue saved him. The front door opened, and she beckoned them in. Jared's parents, Robert and Melissa, were standing right behind Sue, staring at them with a mixture of fear, awe, and anger. "Are you sure this is safe?" Robert asked.

"It's necessary," Sue said. She turned to Leah and Sam. "His temperature is 106. They were about to take him to the hospital. I've asked them not to do that right now."

"The hospital can't help him," Sam explained. "They'll only make things worse. You don't want the change to happen like it did for Leah."

Leah frowned as she took in the atmosphere of the house. A radio was blaring in the background, the dishwasher was running, and Jared's younger sister had a Disney Channel show turned to high volume in her bedroom. "All the stimulation in here is really hard on him. His senses are becoming heightened. That radio sounds like screaming in his brain." She shut it off. "The lemon scent from the detergent in the kitchen feels like acid in his nose." She waved her hand in the general direction of the bedrooms. "And that show made me want to shoot myself before I turned into a wolf."

Jared's parents looked at each other. "We sent her in there so she wouldn't hear this conversation, just like your mom told us to."

"That's why we should move him to a more comfortable place," Sue explained. "We can't expect you all to sit in the dark, no food on the stove, no detergent for his clothes, until the phase."

"Then stop it!" Melissa snapped. "You say you're here to help, then treat his fever. You're a nurse, help us get him better!"

"I'm so sorry," Sue said sincerely. "I wish I could. I wish there was a way to stop this once it started. But I have no idea how."

Gently, Leah turned to Jared's mother. "Trust us, if we had a way to stop this, we would. Sam and I, doing this, being wolves, it wasn't what either of us wanted. If we had any idea how to reverse this, we'd tell you now. We'd do it ourselves."

"Can we see him?" Sam asked.

After a silent deliberation between the Cameron parents, they nodded reluctantly. "Just don't… Don't scare him, okay?" Melissa asked.

"His hearing's really good," Leah sighed. "He's already heard every word we've said."

Jared was lying on his back, shirtless, arms sprawled across his bed, blankets kicked to the floor. Between shaking and writhing, he said, "You're all out of your minds."

Sue moved toward the bed, but Leah stopped her with a hand. "Let me. Mrs. Cameron, can you wet some towels? Cool water?" She sat on the edge of the bed. "Sam and I, we're here to help you."

"But you can't make it stop. You said that. I heard you, just like you said."

"No, we can't," she admitted. "But it doesn't have to be as bad as it was for us." Jared looked at her with glassy eyes, trying hard to focus. "Sam, could you get rid of the hair gel on the dresser? And empty the trash can? It's what smells so bad. Mom, would you open the window? Mr. Cameron, would you ask her to turn the volume down halfway?" When all that was done, she turned back to Jared, who was greedily gulping fresh air into his lungs.

"You're right," he admitted. "It's better."

"Just a tiny bit, I know," she conceded. Then she patted his hand gently.

He appeared slightly more lucid now, and he looked between Sam and Leah. "I need to see." It was a demand, not a request.

Sam looked out the window. The backyard wasn't private enough. "We'll show you, but not here."

"You'll be more comfortable somewhere else," Sue urged. "It would be safer for your family, too. For your sister."

"You're not taking him anywhere." Melissa glared at them from the doorway. She had a large basin of water in her arms and towels draped around her neck.

Leah took them from her and started smoothing cool water over Jared's overheated skin. He sighed in relief while Sue suggested, "Why don't you come with us? Robert can stay here with Sandy, and you can come with us?"

"Is the other place ready yet?" Sam pointed out.

Sue tilted her head. "Stay at our house tonight. Seth already knows what's going on. He won't mind crashing on the couch tonight. He'll keep his distance, too. We'll keep the lights off, the windows open. We've already gotten rid of our air fresheners, switched to fragrance-free soaps and detergents because Leah can't stand them. Seth wears his headphones when he listens to music, that kind of thing."

"And we can go get the cabin ready," Sam offered.

Leah shook her head. "I think I'd better stay with Jared." The boy looked up at her gratefully. "We don't know what might set off the phase. My mom and Mrs. Cameron should stay close, but not too close."

Sue nodded. "And I've got a shift in the morning. Leah will need to take care of him tomorrow, too. Honey, you should try to get some sleep tonight."

"I'll get the air mattress and stay on the floor of Seth's room. That way I'll be right there," she reassured Jared, who was staring at her gratefully.

Sam frowned. It was frustrating enough to watch his fiancée practically sponge bathing the half naked teenager in his bed, but at least they were surrounded by family. But Sue agreed with Leah. "That's a great idea. Melissa? Robert?"

"As long as I get to come with you," Melissa insisted.

Jared reminded them, "But you're going to show me first, right?"

Sam would have preferred privacy, but Robert and Melissa insisted on seeing for their own eyes. Sandy had thankfully fallen asleep in front of her television, so Robert simply turned it off and switched off the lights. Then they all filed into the backyard. They had to cross through four other backyards to get to the tree line, but eventually they found a private spot. "Do you want to, or shall I?" Leah asked.

There was no way Sam was allowing anyone to get even the tiniest glimpse of Leah naked. Bad enough that she was too warm to wear anything more than tank tops and shorts or thin sundresses. He didn't even want Jared to look at her bare elbows. "I'll do it." He stepped behind a tree, having no desire to moon Sue and Jared's parents, removed his clothes, and focused on his irritation about how much Jared was leaning on Leah.

Melissa screamed at the same moment he phased, because there was no way for the single oak tree to hide his massive form. Sue shushed her while Jared and Robert froze in place and muttered curses under their breaths. Leah left Jared's side to bury her fingers in the fur at his neck. He nuzzled her gently, and she smiled and kissed him on his wet nose. "Don't worry, he's still just a big softie."

Melissa was hyperventilating, so he quickly returned behind the tree, phased back, and pulled on his clothes. All three Camerons were staring at him with huge eyes when he returned. "I was really hoping it was all just a crazy story," Jared breathed.

"Us too," Sam sighed. "Believe me. Us too."

"But we'll take care of you, okay?" Leah gently touched Jared's arm.

Sam took the cabin key from Sue and hugged Leah goodbye. He knew he was being foolish, but he couldn't stop his jealousy. His possessiveness of Leah had only intensified after phasing, and it got even worse after he marked her. He made certain to wait until Jared was watching, then he brushed her hair away from her neck and blatantly kissed the scar. "I'll see you as soon as I'm done, okay, baby?"

She quirked her lip at him in amusement. She knew exactly what he was up to, and he was too embarrassed to stick around and wait for any further response. He jogged off into the woods.

X-x-x-x-X

A/N: Thanks again to Babs81410. All mistakes are mine.