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Disclaimer - This is based off of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. She created the characters and the basic plot, and this is my spin on it. These are my words about her world. Stephenie Meyer has all of the rights to her characters and the parts that were taken from her plot.

Chapter Twelve

Bella was upstairs brushing her hair when the doorbell rang. Immediately, she stopped her actions and looked up, meeting Sam's gaze through the mirror. His eyes were hard and emotionless, his entire body tense. The set tension in his jaw and the stiffness of his arm muscles reminded Bella much of the very first time she'd been introduced to the pack – in Jacob's backyard. The Sam who was sitting rigidly on the edge of her bed was not the Sam who'd been cuddling and kissing her all afternoon.

In that moment, he was the Alpha. Not her boyfriend.

"Are you ready?" he asked. Even his voice was edgy, overwrought with anger and stress.

Bella picked up the gray T-shirt she'd traded for the long-sleeved purple blouse and dropped it into her hamper. "Yeah, I think so. I mean – as ready as I'm ever going to be."

Sam was silent for a second, staring meaningfully at the ground, his hands clenched at his sides. He was likely listening to some conversation going on downstairs. Suddenly his eyebrows lifted in relief. "Jacob is on our side."

Bella's stomach dropped a little. Taking sides meant the problems between Sam and Harry were deeper than she thought, deep enough to involve the entire pack. "How do you know?"

"He and Billy just arrived," he told her stiffly. "Jacob isn't happy with Harry's invitation either."

Bella smoothed her hair back and pulled her sleeves so they covered her palms. "We'd better get downstairs, then. Charlie will be calling for us any second now." She shook her head. "I'm surprised he hasn't come up here to make sure we aren't having sex."

Despite the stress Bella knew was attacking his stomach, Sam grinned a barely-there smile, just a minute lifting of the corners of his mouth. "He's trying to convince Jacob to come upstairs and spy on us. He's concerned that we're being so quiet."

"Let's go, then," she sighed. "We'll prove that we're not groping each other." She turned to go for the door, but a warm hand wrapped around her waist and held her in place. He bent so that their noses were just barely touching.

"Wait a minute," he breathed. His eyes softened in a way that they only did when he looked at her. "I have something I want to give you." He dug around in his back pocket and retrieved a tiny blue box. He held it out to her unopened and stared deep into her eyes until she reached out to take it from him. "Go ahead, open it."

Bella carefully lifted the lid, peering down at the necklace that rested inside it. It was a silver chain that appeared to have been recently cleaned as it shined even under the dim lighting of her bedroom. In the middle, a tiny charm dangled. It was a wooden, hand-crafted black wolf and it was beautiful.

Bella looked up to meet Sam's anxious gaze. She bit her lip as she realized what a big deal this had to be for Sam, giving this to her. He picked the necklace up pinched each end between his thumbs and index fingers. Her heart fluttered as he attached it around her neck, purposefully brushing his fingers over her throat as he did so. She breathed in a deep breath of his masculine, woodsy scent and closed her eyes.

"This is a tradition in the legends of the pack," he explained quietly. "When a wolf imprinted, he made a charm like this for his imprint to wear around her neck. It's a way to show every member of the tribe how special she is and every member of the pack exactly who she belongs to. He was to make the wolf the same color as his own wolf to make each imprint's necklace special and specific. Jared will make one for Kim, only the wolf will be light brown instead of black." He rubbed his thumb gently across her cheek. "This necklace cements your place in the tribe and shows everyone how important you are. Bella, you're the most special imprint there could be – the Alpha's imprint. This necklace will show every member of the tribe that you are to be respected."

Bella's mind clicked. "Harry will see it tonight," she whispered.

His nostrils flared and he nodded. "Yes. I wanted to give it to you in a more . . . meaningful way. But I need to send Harry a message loud and clear, and I think this is the best way to do it. Will you wear it always?" He swallowed. "For me and my sanity?"

Bella reached up to place her palm over the little wolf around her neck. "Of course, Sam. I love it."

He leaned down to press a gentle kiss to her lips, his hands resting on her hips. He pushed his fingers through the empty belt loops on her jean shorts. She sighed into his mouth and he deepened the kiss. She weaved her fingers through his hair and tugged, driving a moan out of him.

When Sam grew tired of bending down, he lifted her so she could wrap her legs around his waist. Her stomach pressed against his toned abs and she inhaled deeply, letting her senses fill with his scent – a strange but welcome mixture of the forest, peppermint, and his natural aroma.

One of his hands slipped from her waist and slid under her shirt, lifting directly to her breast, and sent a jolt through Bella's body. Before she realized it, he'd walked them backwards and was laying her down on her bed, crawling up to hover over her.

Just when things looked like they were going to heat up, Charlie sent up an interruption. The man had perfect timing, Bella had to admit.

Her attention was called away from Sam as a pair of feet began exaggeratedly stomping up the stairs. Someone, she assumed it was Jacob, cleared his throat loudly. "I'm coming upstairs now with the intent to go into the bathroom across from Isabella Swan's bedroom," he hollered, trying to sound serious. "If any body parts are visible that you don't want me to see, I strongly suggest that you cover them right now."

Sam's lips twitched in an attempt at a smile, but the circumstances just wouldn't let him. He stood and helped Bella do the same, watching with dark, aroused eyes as she adjusted her shirt and fiddled with her hair.

When Jacob appeared at the top of the stairs, he had a big cheeky smile on his face. He tucked his hands into his pockets. "Sorry, Bells," he said, "but your dad was losing his mind down there. I had to put him out of his misery." He noticed the necklace that dangled around her neck and took a step back unconsciously, eyes wide.

Bella realized that she'd never really spoken to Jacob about her being Sam's imprint, and she owed him a conversation for sure. This representation around her neck must have been a little unexpected. "I can't complain. He didn't throw a fit when we told him we're together." Charlie was always hesitant about relationships between two people who hadn't known each other very long – like Sam and Bella – and it shocked her that he hadn't had something to say about them.

Sam lifted a hand to brush a stand of hair out of Bella's face, calling his presence to Jacob's attention. Jacob's smile slid from his face and his eyes shifted to Sam's. He looked at him expectantly, as if he were awaiting orders. "Do you have a plan for tonight?"

Sam's teeth appeared for a split second as his lips pulled up in a sneer. "I'm not mentioning anything to Harry about the other night. He has no right to demand answers out of me. I am the Alpha of this pack and I do not have to explain myself to him."

"And if he asks?"

Sam hesitated. "He gets reminded of his place."

Jacob nodded like he knew exactly what that meant and that had been the answer he'd been expecting. Bella, however, was clueless. "What's his place?"

"The job of the council is to provide advice to the pack when they need it," Sam explained patiently. "My position as the Alpha is more authoritative than a position on the council. They're important, but not as important as I am. I don't answer to them or need their approval for my choices, and Harry needs to be reminded of that."

Bella was suddenly glad that Charlie had suggested ordering a few pizzas instead of having Bella prepare a meal. Any information Bella could get out of Sam or Jacob was much needed and extremely helpful as she entered this new life. Still, she knew that Charlie wouldn't be happy with the three of them staying upstairs all evening, and the game would be starting soon. The Clearwaters' would be arriving any minute, and she could feel the tension rolling off of Sam's shoulders. She entwined her fingers with his. "We'd better get downstairs before Charlie comes up here himself."

The moment Harry Clearwater stepped into the Swan house, Sam's entire body turned to stone. Bella, seated next to him on the couch, felt his stomach muscles coil tighter like he was getting ready to spring up and attack. He had her tucked tightly into his side with his arm resting behind her on the back of the couch. When Charlie ushered the Clearwater family into the too-small living room, he pressed his palm into Bella's side and pulled her even closer, his eyes burning.

Bella leaned into him to make herself even closer, knowing that was what he really needed – to have her near him, to know that she was safe. She squeezed her fist around a small portion of his T-shirt. Its light brown color contrasted beautifully with his skin.

Jacob was on her other side, not quite touching her. He rested his ankle on his opposite knee and Bella knew he was trying to look relaxed, but his clenched fists were throwing off the image.

Harry held his chin high as he walked into the room, as if he thought he deserved respect from everyone in it. He looked around expectantly, probably waiting for everyone to stand up and bow down to him. Seth hesitated at the door, glancing between his Alpha and his father. Clearly he didn't know which man he was to give his loyalty to. Bella sent him a sympathetic smile, which he returned behind his father's back.

Harry's eyes found Sam immediately. His lips pulled up into a fake smile. "Good evening, everyone," he greeted. "

Billy was seated closer to the door where there was plenty of room for his wheelchair. He nodded stiffly at his long-time friend. "Harry."

Harry glanced towards him. The wrinkles around his eyes reminded Bella that he was an elder, a council member. He was, perhaps, older and wiser, but Sam was young, vibrant, healthy, and strong. Harry was powerful, but not as powerful as Sam.

Sue Clearwater's voice drifted into the room from the kitchen, where she was asking Charlie if she could use the microwave to warm the dip she'd brought along with her. Apparently it would take a few minutes because she bounced into the room a few seconds later with a friendly, excited expression on her face – the complete opposite of her husband's. Leah followed behind her, her expression not unfriendly, just extremely wary and hesitant of the situation she was walking into. "Billy, hello!" Sue cheered, bending to wrap him in a hug. "How are you?"

Billy cleared his throat. "I'm doing fine, Suzie, and yourself?" His voice rumbled roughly, like he was forcing himself to sound like he was in a good mood.

"I'm wonderful," she exclaimed, moving to stand next to her frozen-in-place husband.

Charlie, of course, was oblivious to the tension in the room. He moseyed over to his normal chair and waved a hand. "You all can sit down," he insisted. "There's plenty of room." Charlie and Sam had brought extra chairs inside from the shed in the backyard so that everyone wouldn't be crammed onto the couch. A great idea because if Sam got anywhere near Harry, he would probably strangle him.

"Well, we are here to watch a baseball game, aren't we?" Harry said.

Sam Uley was in his own personal hell. It wasn't enough that he was making his first impression on his imprint's father while watching a baseball game between two teams that he couldn't have cared less about. He had to try and make Charlie like him while at the same time not letting him figure out how much hatred he held for Harry Clearwater, a man who he called a close friend.

In addition to Charlie, he was now stuck in a room with a girl who he'd almost had a relationship with before meeting his soulmate. A girl whose father was still trying urgently to get them together.

Plus he had two teenage werewolves who were under his control staring at him, waiting for any kind of instructions.

And his mate was literally in the middle of it all.

To say that Sam was stressed would be the understatement of the year.

Bella reached up to press her hand against his chest. "Are you okay?" she whispered.

He was anything but okay, but he wasn't about to tell her that. It would only worry her, and she was already panicked enough. He leaned down to press a kiss to her temple. "I'm fine, baby."

"You don't look fine," she scolded.

He closed his eyes. Of course she would know that he was lying – she was his imprint. The sun to his moon, the yin to his yang, the sand to his beach, the water to his ocean. His other half. "I'll be fine as long as you're right next to me," he whispered back.

She accepted this unwillingly and leaned her head on his shoulder, squinting at the game on the television. The pitcher on the home team struck the batter out to end the second inning, and Charlie and Jacob jumped up to high-five each other. Billy hollered happily from where his wheelchair was resting between Jacob's end of the couch and Charlie's recliner. Seth had taken a chair on Billy's left and was close enough to fist bump Jacob as the teams on the screen swapped places.

On Sam's left, Leah was the closest to him. Harry had taken the chair farthest away from Sam, closest to the TV. A wise choice, because Sam wanted to break his jaw.

Sam's hatred towards Harry was a new thing. Before Bella, when Harry was just trying to set he and Leah up, the strongest emotion Sam had felt towards the old man was annoyance. If he'd wanted to date Leah, he would pursue her on his own. He'd never needed help getting a girl. When he imprinted on Bella, Sam had assumed Harry would remove the pressure for him to fall in love with Leah. He hadn't, of course. He did the opposite – pushing Leah and Sam together even more desperately. And in return, he'd made Sam's imprint uncomfortable and self-conscious.

Seeing Bella timid and unsure of herself was what had brought Sam to hate Harry. Truly hate him. In Sam's eyes, Harry was a threat to his relationship with his imprint. And that was unacceptable.

Everything else that Harry did – like trying to control Sam's actions as Alpha and assuming his opinion meant more than it really did – only made his hate fire burn hotter.

Sam knew he'd chosen his seat on purpose – not because he was avoiding Sam. Harry was a stupid man and didn't fear Sam as he should. He'd chosen his seat knowing that Sue would sit next to him, leaving only one chair for Leah to occupy.

Right next to Sam.

At least Leah was as opposed to dating Sam as Sam was himself. That was the only thing that made this evening better. At the moment, Leah Clearwater was on Sam's good side. As soon as she'd found out about Sam's imprinting on Bella, she'd stopped agreeing to go along with her father's antics. And then, a few days before, she'd watched out for his imprint when she was in danger as well. Leah had comforted Bella and offered her an insight into the mystical world that Sam hadn't been able to – a female insight.

But the thing that had earned Leah the most points was her assurance to Bella that she wasn't interested in Sam. He knew that was a lie – Leah had always had feelings for Sam that went beyond friendship – but she'd wanted to make Bella feel better because she knew that Bella was the right one for Sam, not herself.

Sam wouldn't call Leah his friend, but she wasn't as spiteful as her father. She gave Sam the respect he deserved as the Alpha of the werewolf pack, and in return, Sam allowed her little brother to live a more normal teenage boy life – well, as normal as it could be.

Sam and Leah had an understanding. He just wished Harry would back off and stop being an asshole.

The game had gone to commercial when the doorbell rang, so small conversations had started through the room. Jacob and Seth jumped up enthusiastically. "Pizza!" they yelled at the same time.

Sam chuckled. He'd been getting a little hungry himself, but he wasn't about to stand up until Bella did. He wasn't letting her out of his sight. He couldn't risk Harry cornering her alone and saying something that would upset her. Sam's job as Bella's wolf was to protect her physically, but also emotionally. He was not going to let Harry Clearwater make Bella feel like she didn't belong in the pack, with Sam. Because she belonged right by his side.

"Let me pay for the pizza, Charlie," Billy insisted when Charlie passed him on his way to grab his wallet. "I didn't think to bring anything with me, and Sue brought that cheesy dip stuff."

Charlie huffed. "I don't want your money, Billy. I have more than a retired old man like you," he taunted his friend.

"At least I have more hair on my head than I do on my back," Billy shot back.

Bella laughed at the banter they exchanged. The sound floated into Sam's ears and for a moment, the tension in his body was released. His imprint's happiness would always be enough to melt away his hard exterior.

But as soon as Harry stood to make his way to the kitchen, Bella's smile faded and she squeezed Sam's hand tighter and the stress flooded right back into his muscles.

Sam assumed Bella would wait until Harry was out of the room before standing, but she surprised him by hoisting herself up from the couch, putting herself right in the old man's path. Harry stopped, just as surprised as Sam was. Bella looked down at Sam expectantly and he followed her like the little puppy he was.

Bella, though she feared Harry and what he might do, had just shown tremendous strength by challenging him in the simplest way. And though she did it unknowingly, she'd just shown her authority over him. As the Alpha's mate, a council member was to yield to her out of respect, and Bella had enforced that unintentionally.

Sam's lips turned up in a proud smile. Bella knew her place instinctively and wasn't going to let anyone take it from her.

Everyone stood around the kitchen table as Charlie sat the three pizza boxes down next to the plates and napkins. Jacob and Seth were opening the box before it even touched the table, their mouths salivating at the sight of the grease and cheese.

Charlie invited everyone to sit in the living room and eat.

"Oh, but Charlie, someone might make a mess," Sue worried. She shot a glance at her own son and watched him shove the equivalent of three bites into his mouth all at once. She sighed when a little sauce dripped onto his gray shirt.

Charlie huffed. "Naw, that's okay. We came here to watch a baseball game, right?" He elbowed Harry in the ribs. "Let's watch a baseball game."

Leah and Sue followed Seth and Jacob back into the living room as Bella and Sam moved to get their own meal. Harry eyed Charlie nervously for a moment before setting his gaze on Sam.

Sam ignored him. "Pepperoni or plain, baby?" he asked Bella.

Bella surveyed each option carefully before reaching for the plain cheese pizza. She had to lean over a little to reach it, and the wolf necklace that had been resting conspicuously over her heart dangled in mid-air.

When Harry noticed the little black wolf hanging around her neck, his judgmental eyes held a note of shock and his eyebrows lifted in surprise. His astonishment quickly morphed into loathing as he glared at Bella. He did not say anything until Charlie had retrieved a beer and rejoined the others in the other room. "What the hell are you doing with that hanging around your neck?" he spat at her.

Immediately, Sam had her behind his back and pulled himself up to his full height, staring down intimidatingly at the old man. Deep down, he was satisfied. That was exactly the reaction he'd been hoping for. He needed a reason to confront him. "Bella is an imprint," Sam snapped at him. "It is tradition that she wears a charm of her wolf – especially around other members of the pack and the council. Bella has accepted her place as the Alpha's female." Behind him, Sam heard Bella swallow nervously. He blindly reached a hand back towards her and she quickly entwined their fingers.

Harry sneered. "It is also tradition for every member of the pack to imprint on a member of the Reservation. Not some paleface with no ancestry among the tribe."

Bella gasped, and Sam had already had enough. He growled lowly. "Are you challenging my imprint with Bella? Are you that foolish?"

"It can't be a real imprint," Harry spat through his teeth. "She has no connection to our tribe! The Alpha of the werewolf pack must be with a female of Quileute blood."

Sam's lips pulled up over his teeth in a quiet snarl. "An imprint is never wrong," he reminded him sourly. "That is what the legend says. Whoever a wolf imprints on is his perfect match. And I imprinted on Bella."

"Leah is and will always be a better match for you than she ever will be," the elder rumbled, jabbing an accusing finger in Bella's direction.

Sam looked down at his imprint to see tears glistening in her eyes. The confidence she'd exhibited not five minutes ago was completely replaced with self-doubt and humiliation. Sam could see it in her eyes – she believed him, she believed everything this man was saying. Everything Sam had said to her to make her understand that they belonged together, that they were meant to be, soulmates – Harry Clearwater had erased it all in a few sentences.

And Sam was furious.

But the original issue of the night came back into the picture when Charlie ambled back into the kitchen with an empty plate. "There's beer in the fridge, Harry," he said obliviously. "Help yourself."

Sam and Bella stepped back when Charlie reached for another piece of pizza. "Do you want something to drink?" Bella asked, tugging on Sam's hand to let him know she was speaking to him. Her voice was timid and weak, but Charlie didn't seem to notice. His eyes may as well have been pepperoni.

Sam nodded. "I'll take a beer."

Harry yanked the fridge open, still glaring at the couple behind Charlie's back. "Here ya go," he said, tossing a can not-so-carefully in their direction. It was obvious he was aiming to hit Bella, but Sam's quick reflexes allowed him to catch it before it could hit Bella in the face.

The living room erupted into cheering, signaling that their team had done something positive. "Shit," Charlie swore and bolted to catch the replay.

"This discussion isn't over," Harry hissed like the evil villain he was.

When he'd disappeared into the other room, Sam pressed Bella against the wall and leaned down close to her ear. His lips found her neck in a gentle kiss. "Don't listen to him," he begged. His hands found her hips and he pulled her closer so that every inch of her body was pressed against his. "You are mine and I am yours. We belong together, Bella."

Bella sniffled and, to Sam's relief, wrapped her arms around his neck. "I know that I'm meant to be with you – I can feel it in my heart. But I'm not a member of the Rez, Sam. I might be meant for you, but I'm not meant to be a member of the pack."

Sam shook his head desperately. "No, you're wrong. You are meant to be part of the pack. Don't you see it? You already are one of the pack. You're already one of us."

Bella bit her lip.

Sam brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. "I love you, Bella," he whispered. "Don't ever doubt that. You belong with me."

Bella answered by pressing on the back of his neck until he leaned down for a kiss.

"Sam!" Jacob called, his voice muted by the wall that stood between them. "C'mon, you're missing the Mariners batting!"

Bella laughed. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that Charlie had given him at least five bucks to say that.

Harry's gaze was almost constantly locked on Sam and Bella for the next half an hour. A gaze that was really more of a glare. Bella tried to ignore him by striking up conversation with Jacob, but even as she looked up at Jake's face, she could feel Harry's eyes burning a hole in the side of her head.

Bella was sure she looked uncomfortable, but Charlie never noticed.

Of course not. The Mariners were playing in a baseball game.

At the top of the fifth inning, Harry stood. "I think I need to take my seventh inning stretch a little sooner," he chuckled. "I'm gonna get some fresh air for a minute."

Charlie barely noticed as Harry walked out of the room, but everyone else's eyes were stuck on him. When he reached the door, he gave his son a look Bella couldn't read before returning his attention to Sam. His eyes narrowed expectantly and his fists uncoiled and recoiled, as if he were making a threat.

Charlie also barely noticed when an exhausted howl pierced the stomachs of everyone else in the room. All eyes immediately turned to Sam, who stared blankly at the TV screen in front of them. When Sam's silence lengthened, Billy followed the Alpha's lead and looked away before Charlie noticed their panicked expressions. Jacob and Seth, Bella could tell, wanted to phase and see what the issue was, but they wouldn't do so without Sam's orders.

So Bella wasn't surprised when Sam excused himself to use the restroom only two minutes after Harry had let the screen door close behind him. As he stood, Bella clutched at his forearm nervously. Was he going to deal with Harry, or with whatever had caused the wolves patrolling to give a distress signal?

Sam pressed a kiss to her forehead when Charlie wasn't looking. "I'll be right back," he whispered in her ear. That probably would have calmed Bella . . . if he hadn't given Jacob a stern look that said don't you dare let anything happen to my imprint while I'm outside with the man whose trying to take away my power as the Alpha.

Bella watched, nauseated, as he jolted himself up the stairs. She wondered which window he would be using to exit.

Bella swallowed and Jake scooted closer now that he had his Alpha's permission to be close to his imprint. His arm wrapped around the back of the couch where Sam's had just been, except Jacob made sure there was no skin-on-skin contact. "Watch this guy's swing," her best friend ordered, pointing his finger at the screen.

Bella tried to focus on the stupid baseball game, but it was hard. She glanced over to Leah and found her watching her as well. The girls met each other's gaze evenly, and the sympathy in Leah's eyes made the knot in Bella's stomach loosen just a little. Leah knew a lot about the pack, and she knew a lot about the relationship between Sam and Harry. If she wasn't worried about them confronting each other outside or the howl that had echoed around the room, then perhaps Bella could relax.

But Bella couldn't relax. Somehow she had completely lost control of her life, and she desperately wanted to get it back.

"It wasn't a distress howl," Jacob whispered in her ear. "It was an alert. It means Jared found another leech scent, but there's no immediate danger. The scent is probably a few days old. If there was any sign of the leech, he would have howled more than once to call us all into action." He rubbed Bella's arm reassuringly. "You can relax. If there were any danger, we'd all be phased by now."

Harry was leaning against the side of the Swans' house when Sam turned the corner. The sight of him standing there, so casual and calm, brought all of Sam's fury up to the surface.

The sun had gone down about two hours earlier, so the night had solidly settled in around them. They were only illuminated by the street lights that lit up the road. Above them, it was an almost starless night, but the moon was glowing brightly. How ironic, Sam thought, for a pack of werewolves.

When Harry heard the other man approach, he looked up. "It's another leech." It wasn't a question.

Sam nodded. "Sounds like it. I won't know until I talk with Jared. He wasn't calling for backup, only alerting us that he found another scent. He was putting us on guard."

"You never briefed me on what went down the other night, either," the old man complained. A cigarette butt glowed in his hand as he lifted it to his mouth. "It's your duty to keep the council informed of what's happening around the Reservation."

"No, it's not," Sam snapped. "But for your information, I described the events of that night to Billy Black."

His eyes snapped to Sam's face in surprise. "And why was I not included?" he yelled.

"Because I don't answer to you," Sam responded simply. He knew the calmness of his expression would anger Harry the most.

And it did. The old man pushed away from the wall and fisted his hands at his sides. "Without the council, the pack is nothing."

Sam laughed mockingly. "What world are you living in?" he demanded. "Without the pack, there is no reason for the council to exist!" He leaned in closer menacingly. "The council gets all of its power from the pack. Do you know what that means?" He paused, and when Harry stood there steaming and silent, he continued, "The council members will never have more power than the wolves. Ever."

"You bastard," Harry spat. "The council has all the knowledge! We are the glue that keeps the pack together and functioning!"

Sam felt a smirk pull at his lips. Slowly he began to take small steps forward, closing the gap between them. His expression was thunderous, but apparently it wasn't enough to make Harry back down. Deep inside him, Sam felt his wolf begin to claw at the man, wanting to take over and make him phase. His bones tightened with the familiar ache that they always got as they were preparing to morph into the animal's structure, but he couldn't phase. Not now. So he closed his eyes and allowed his attention to drift into the house, to Bella. He focused on her heartbeat, a steady and rhythmic pounding in his ears. He heard her giggle as Seth said something funny to the entire room. He heard her sigh nervously, probably worrying for Sam. In Bella, Sam always found strength. He opened his eyes and glowered down at Harry. "You're wrong," he stated. "The imprints are the glue that keeps the pack functioning."

Harry chuckled. "And we're back to that, huh? You think you've got something special? With that little girl in there?" He shook his head. "She's a child, Sam."

"She's my soulmate," Sam snarled. "I suggest you watch your words."

"You should be with Leah."

"No," Sam laughed, "I shouldn't."

Harry shook his head. "The Alpha needs to mate with a strong female!" he yelled. "A strong female of the Reservation! The Alpha needs to mate with a woman who can produce a child of Quileute blood! It's your responsibility to keep the tribe alive and strong! You need to mate with the strongest female in the tribe, Samuel Uley, not some pale-faced teenage girl who will never be happy living on the Reservation!"

Both men stood in silence after that outburst, shocked at the explosion of words that had just left the elder's mouth. The wolf inside Sam was absolutely furious now, itching for a chance to sink its claws into Harry. He had insulted his imprint. Degraded his imprint. Made her position seem unimportant. That would not stand. When Sam finally spoke, his voice was strong. "Bella is a legal adult in a few weeks. She'll graduate in the spring. Bella can and will do everything that a woman from the tribe would do." He paused. "Everything that Leah could do."

"Your pups won't be pure!" Harry sputtered.

Sam shook his head. "No. They won't be. But they'll still be mine, just like Bella is. And my sons will still carry the wolf gene in their blood."

Harry opened his mouth to fight back, but when his eyes darted around as if he were searching for something to say, Sam realized he'd run out of arguments.

So Sam decided it was time for him to officially take over the conversation.

"You know what I think?" Sam said. "I think you're making excuses. You're trying to explain your reasons for wanting Leah and I together by saying it's for the good of the tribe." Sam shook his head, chuckling. "But that's not why. You don't want me to be with Bella, not because she's not a born member of the tribe, but because you don't want someone else to have the power that is automatically given to the Alpha's mate. I think you're jealous because you know that the Alpha's mate has more power than any council member will ever have. More power than you will ever have. Bella's place in the pack is vital for the pack's survival, and you hate that."

Harry started to speak, but Sam cut him off by placing a hand on the old man's shoulder and pushing him backwards.

"You don't want me to be with Leah because you want what's best for your daughter," Sam yelled. He wasn't going to back away until Harry admitted it. The excuses would stop here. "You want me to be with her so you can have the authority that her position would bring your family!"

Harry glared up at Sam balefully. "She is not a member of the Reservation," he repeated. "She does not belong at the side of our Alpha. She does not deserve the power that comes with being the Alpha's mate! That authority should be mine!"

And there it was – finally out in the open. Fury bubbled up in Sam's chest and his fist was connecting with Harry's jaw before he realize what he was doing. Still, as the old man stumbled backwards and clutched at his bleeding lip, Sam didn't feel remorse for the punch. He let out a savage growl and stalked over to him, lifting the elder by his shirt and pinning him against the side of the house. Harry's head cracked against the panel and he groaned, but Sam didn't let up. "You dare to disrespect my imprint," he snarled in his face. "You challenge her place at the top of this pack. You insult her." He reached up to wrap a hand around the base of Harry's neck without thinking and squeezed. "You should die for your blasphemous actions."

Harry choked and gargled. Sam watched as his eyes glazed over and his cheeks turned from a flushed pink to a dangerous blue. The old man didn't struggle. He knew there was nothing he could do to fight Sam off.

Sam finally saw the panic and fear in Harry's eyes that he'd always wanted to see. Finally he'd broken the elder's confidence and shown him his true place in the Reservation – hopelessly far below Sam. Sam had proved that his strength was far superior.

But most importantly, as his eyes grew more lifeless each second, Sam saw something he'd wanted to see even more.

Defeat.

Harry was defeated. Overpowered. Conquered.

Sam had won.

At that realization, he released the old man's neck and watched him drop to his knees, gasping desperately for breath. Harry clutched at his neck as his chest heaved urgently, trying to make up for the oxygen that he hadn't been able to receive just moments previously.

"I'm not going to kill you," Sam spoke. Now, more in control of his anger, his voice rang out clear and powerful. "Bella does not deserve to love a murderer, and Seth does not deserve to bury his father before he even graduates high school." He stooped to crouch right next to him on the ground and leaned his face close to his ear. "But make no mistake. If you continue to challenge my imprint's place as the Alpha's mate, you will not live to see Seth receive his diploma. You will not live to walk Leah down the aisle at her wedding. You will not live to celebrate your fiftieth wedding anniversary with your wife. I promise you – if you ever challenge Bella as my imprint again, you will die."

And with that, Sam stood and made his way towards the back door. "Bella made chocolate chip cookies," he called casually over his shoulder. "You really should try them – they're delicious. And by that I mean, you will come inside and act as if nothing happened. And you will tell Bella that they are the best cookies you have ever tasted." Sam turned to glare at him one more time. "But if you touch her, I'll break your hand."

Bella was chatting with Jacob and Seth when Sam reappeared in the kitchen a few minutes after leaving. She knew he hadn't gone to the bathroom like he'd said he was going to.

Acting on instinct, both Jacob and Seth backed away from Bella as Sam entered the room. Sam was still emanating an aura of tension and authority, and naturally the two wolves wouldn't want to be caught too close to the Alpha's mate.

Sam's eyes found her immediately and softened. A moment later, she was wrapped under his arm again. He pressed his nose into her hair and inhaled her scent deeply.

Making sure Charlie wasn't looking, she pressed her palm into his cheek and drew his attention down to her. "What happened?" she demanded in a whisper. Behind him, Jacob and Seth both stared blankly at the ground. Their hands were clasped in front of them as they leaned against the counter. Bella knew enough to know that they were submitting to their Alpha, and she wanted to know why.

Sam shook his head and glanced at Charlie. "Not here," he said in her ear. "Tomorrow we will go to the Blacks' house and I'll explain everything. Billy needs to hear it as well. The pack needs to gather."

Bella bit her lip but decided to accept that. "And what about that howl? Was it an alert?"

Sam hesitated, synchronizing her face carefully. He didn't want to panic her, knowing that she was worried already, but she deserved to know what was going on. He nodded. "Jared caught the scent of another vampire down by the river where we first saw the female." He brushed his thumb against her wavering bottom lip. "It's not something you should worry about right now."

"Of course it is," she gasped. Her eyelashes dampened with the panicked tears that threatened to spill over her cheeks.

Sam bent to press his lips to hers once, quickly, so that Charlie wouldn't notice. "Don't think about it right now. You're safe. I'm not leaving you alone until we catch it." He looked deep into her eyes, passionately and intensely. "I will not let anything hurt you."

Sam knew that his problems with Harry weren't quite over yet. He wasn't just going to submit to Sam after one confrontation, even though it had almost costed him his life. But for now, he was dealt with and Sam could cast him aside. His focus needed to be on this new vampire now. He needed to figure out where they were all coming from – Were they all connected? Did they all want the same thing? – because now Bella's safety was in question again. The first two leeches had wanted Bella dead, to weaken the Alpha and therefore the entire pack.

Sam knew that these leeches wanted to end the werewolf line in La Push permanently. But he was not going to let that happen.

Once again, thank you all so much for the fantastic feedback! I am so grateful for each and every one of you taking this journey with me.

Please, please, please keep leaving me reviews! Tell me what you thought of the chapter, your predictions, your emotions while reading . . . anything at all!

Oh, and just to bring something to your attention . . . This chapter is 7,006 words in length. That's THE LONGEST CHAPTER so far. So . . . perhaps . . . if you're feeling grateful for this extra-extra-extra-long chapter, and you like me at all . . . you'll leave me a review and tell me what you thought?

ATTENTION: I'm still looking for someone to create a banner for this story and my others. If you are interested, send me a PM. Thank you!

Oh, and one more thing: I mentioned at the end of Chapter Eleven that I was going to be posting a one-shot this week as well. I didn't expect to put soooo much time into this chapter, so unfortunately that one-shot isn't finished yet, but it's almost ready for you all, so please keep a look out on my profile for it to appear!

Thanks again for reading.

See you in Chapter Thirteen.