Two days late...forgive me? (PS: This story is finally going somewhere... sorry to disappoint you).

Matt is unnaturally sombre – I pretend not to notice. Tyler's death, it seems, had more an effect on the people of Mystic Falls that I thought it might. If the day were different I might have been quietly smiling to myself, but I'm just as sombre. For an entirely different reason than everyone else though.

Tyler's body had been found in the woods – why am I not surprised –near decapitated and just about torn to shreds. A wild animal, they say. I shake my head at this, someone is either very good at cover up or the police force is incompetent. Then again when the vampire attacks had started in Forks they'd been 'animal attacks' too.

The atmosphere at the Grill is chilled and the patrons hushed. I serve more drinks than food.

"Hey," It's Elena, her face is pale as a sheet and her eyes red, she glances over her shoulder before walking to my side. I pause with the tray gripped in my hands. "How's…how's Klaus and Kol?"

The question is so obviously forced that I nearly don't bother to answer it, but there's more to this if anything can be taken from her clenched fingers. "Klaus is-" I grit my teeth, "They're okay."

Elena nods once, her lips tight and the depths of her eyes watery. "What they did," she breathes heavily, "What they did was wrong. I've tried my fare share to kill Klaus, but it still wasn't right." I open my mouth but she shakes her head, "Killing Tyler was wrong as well though. Caroline…"

"Caroline?" I bite out, feeling my blood boil. I'm not sure what I'll do to the blonde when I see her, but it won't be pretty. Any hint of companionship that had budded was ruined. The vampire had fallen into its natural position in a wolf's life: enemy.

"She's gone," Elena rubs at her face, hands trembling. "She came by this morning before she left Mystic Falls."

"Good," the word hisses past my lips before I can contain it and I actually don't regret it once I've had a moment to mull over the implication. It is good that Caroline ran off – if she hadn't I might have done to her what Klaus did to Tyler. Then the coroner would have two bodies to piece back together.

The vampire cringes, "Leah, honestly, nothing that happened was supposed to affect you. It was purely between Klaus and Tyler."

I snort, "Anything that concerns Klaus, concerns me. Plus it clearly wasn't as simple as Klaus and Tyler if the effects it had on Kol and Caroline are any indication."

She sighs, "Yes well, they clearly didn't think anything through."

I turn away, "Look, I have work to do,"

Elena stays there for a moment. "I'm sorry, Leah,"

"Hah, me too," she walks away and the metal of the tray warps in my fingers. Mystic Falls isn't all it's panned out to be. Just more death, more hatred, more pain, and the coldness from Klaus…perhaps Forks would have worked out better. Hell, anywhere would be better.

I'm not sure how to deal with the hurt in Klaus's eyes. I could manage angry Klaus and broody Klaus, even playful Klaus, but this is totally new. He looks at me as if I were part of the trap. I made Tyler betray him. I forced him to fall in love with Caroline. I made them use his feelings for her to attempt to kill him. It was all me when I looked into his eyes. Why he would think that is beyond me, but he clearly does and the thought that he distrusts me and my intentions hurts.

I'd lost Sam because of the imprint. I don't want to lose Klaus because of something as menial as mundane adoration. A soul bond makes a worthy opponent, but throw silent accusations at me that I can't decipher and I'll have no means to fight.

The shift floats past in a sense of removal. I nod my good-bye to Matt and leave the Grill less right with the world than I'd been when I got there.

Despite having run just the night before, the wolf shoves up against my inner walls, begging for release. We're sick of the confinement already.

I turn off my normal route, heading instead for the looming line of trees. Tonight I remember to remove my clothing before racing into the woods and bursting into the phase. My paws sink into the snow – the inch had grown to two since last night – kicking up sparkling white flurries. The sight reminds me of the dress I'd ruined, the snowflakes Caroline put in my hair and, of course, feeling Klaus's gaze across the room. It feels like years had passed already, how could things change so fast? There should be some law of physics that forbids it.

My breath fogs in the air as trees whiz past, undergrowth clings to my pelt – the hair is too long.

The ears atop my head draw down to stop the channelling cool air from freezing me from the inside. I feel like a walking nuclear reactor, but it's the things that I disregard that will kill me. Anyone can die of hypothermia. Wolves not excluded.

Trees are familiar in this part already. That one has a squirrel's nest. That crippled one houses an owl. That tree bares the marks of my claws. The one on the far left is constantly leaking sap. That-

That's not familiar.

My steps falter and I tip my nose into the air.

Wolf.

The hair along my spine raises and my claws sink through a good layer of snow to scrap up dirt. The back of my throat itches and vibrates with a growl as the form detaches from a tree, turning into a being of its own.

Alpha.

The wolf's tail twitches in the air, it raises its head. A deep part of me wants to roll over onto my back and expose my belly; the roll I'm best at is submission. But a stronger sense of self rises up and forces me to bare my teeth. I'll never submit to anyone except my true Alpha, to my mate, to Klaus.

In answer the wolf snarls back at me, pale teeth glinting in the insipid light.

The urge to surrender grows, but I keep myself tall. A tingle of awareness makes my nose twitch.

Jacob…

I yip out a warning as the male inches closer, he continues to move. Natural instinct takes over and before I have a moment to think it through, I've hightailed it in the direction from which I'd come. My paws beat the ground faster, snow becoming airborne once more in my wake. My breaths increase, struggling to match the beat of my heart and the thundering of my legs. The world around me blurs. I've not run this fast since chasing down Jane in Forks.

Behind me I hear the male approaching – he's not as fast as I am, but he's fast enough to be too close – I push myself further. Twigs lash at me with the force of a cat-o'-nine-tails. Still I run, I know soon we'll run out of forest in this direction and change the pursuit 60 degrees to the right.

The unfamiliar terrain and direction throws me for a moment as the alpha draws nearer. I slow.

We leap over a log at the same time – he's right next to me now. I freeze when I've landed on the other side and the male makes two large leaps before realising I've stopped. He spins, russet fur glaring through the darkness.

A minute passes, both of us holding our ground: a point made.

The alpha trembles and from the fur a man emerges, crouched on the ground and breathing heavily.

Reluctantly, I sit and my body ripples, the fur contracts and muscles shift. He's always been the fastest one to phase, but my running could whip him any day.

I push to my two legs, straightening out and coming face to face with the other shifter.

My chest rises and falls a little too fast; the rapid beat of my heart trying to slow down in a near impossible speed. I draw deep steadying breaths, each filling my lungs with cool air. I spread my fingers and hold them slightly away from my sides, willing them to cool.

"Jacob," I say eventually, my voice still too breathy to be considered completely calm. Moistening my lips, I roll my head, drawing in an even deeper slightly stuttered breath. "I'm surprised to see you,"

Good Luck to any fellow NaNoWrimos!