A/N: Good news, I actually had another chapter that I completely forgot about! Hope you guys are enjoying the story, this is admittedly one of my favorite fics to write, and I'm hoping to get back into writing it this coming week.

Chapter 23

"Dude, you must have worked hard your entire life to be this weak," Riley said. Should she let herself be impressed by how physically wimpy Bella was? She caught her friend just before she fell on her ass and quickly righted her.

Bella grimaced and somehow managed to trip over nothing, nearly falling all by herself once more. She was blushing hard enough to make Edward hold his breath despite the distance between them as Riley once again helped her find her footing."I'm not that bad, am I?"

"You don't want me to answer that."

The fact that the usually blunt, impulsive, and painfully honest Riley was answering in such a way did more damage to Bella's already tiny ego than if her friend had answered normally. "I can learn to protect myself a little at least, right?"

"Of course you can. You just need some extra lessons." Riley slid behind Bella, putting her hands on the girl's hips to make sure she wouldn't fall, and Bella let out a squeak of surprise. Riley let out a soft laugh at Bella's reaction, but despite the prime chance to tease, Riley held back. No matter how much she loved messing and flirting with people, she did want Bella to have an actual increased chance of survival. She quickly used her foot to nudge Bella's feet apart so that she had a sturdy form. "Let's start with the very basics; keeping you on your feet. You really need to stop falling over, Bella."

"I'm not doing it on purpose." The petulant, almost pouty tone of Bella's voice made it impossible for Riley not to tease her a little.

"I don't know, I think you're doing this just to feel my body against yours." While Edward had been training a few of the wolves, his attention snapped to the two humans at Riley's words. Of course, while a bunch of crazy shit went down, Riley hadn't forgotten her plans for making Edward suffer as much as he could. Especially in regards to Bella. Which was why she made sure to press her front firmly against a now blushing Bella's back. "Maybe after training, we can get to know-"

Kate snarled under her breath at what she heard from Riley, and for a moment, she was so angry at the idea of Riley wanting to be with someone else other than her and her sisters that she didn't hold back as much as she should have. As wolf Jared lunged at her, Kate slid under his body and slammed her hand into Jared's stomach. With a loud yelp that distracted everyone, Jared went flying into the air before landing hard on his side and skidding along the ground, gasping for breath.

"Shit," Kate muttered, realizing how much her possessiveness had gotten the better of her. She actually felt a little guilty for how hard she had hit the wolf, and upset with herself for her slip in control. As a few nearby shifters broke away to check on him, Sam included, Kate stayed away so as not to potentially make things worse.

"He's okay, just got the air knocked out of him," Sam announced as Jared stumbled to his feet and shook himself out. He shot a look at Kate, unsure of whether to yell at her, yell at her coven leader, yell at everyone, or if the best thing to do was keep his mouth shut. The vamp did look contrite, after all. If he were to keep ragging on someone when it was actually a mistake for once, he knew it could only end badly. "Don't let it happen again," he said at last.

Something about the way he said it irked the warrior. Kate crossed her arms over her chest and nearly gave him a few choice words about how it wasn't her fault his big bad pups were so weak.

"Riley? You okay?" Bella whispered. "You're staring."

"Yeah," Riley breathed, in complete and utter awe of what she just witnessed. All worry about her reaction to the three blondes was put on hold at the display of power she had just witnessed. She always had a thing for strong women, and that was definitely a peak display of strength. "But did you see that? She kicked Jared's ass like it was nothing."

"I did," Bella agreed. "And right now, I'm very thankful that I'm a weak human who isn't about to get her ass kicked by her."

"Are you kidding me? After that show, just...damn. She can kick my ass anytime."

Bella could only scoff and shake her head in amazement. "You're such a perv."

"Hell yeah I am, especially for bad bitches like that one." Riley let out a sigh of longing. Even if she wasn't hiding so much and was allowed to go all out, she knew someone with so much strength and skill like Kate would still be able to win against her. "Damn, I wish I could fight her, if only so she could pin me."

Kate couldn't hold herself back from throwing a saucy smirk over her shoulder at Riley, letting her know that Kate had heard and enjoyed everything. "If you ever want to be under me, all you have to do is ask, Riley."

Of course there was grumblings from the wolves who didn't like anyone flirting with their human, and Rosalie felt the need to mutter, "Gross." Of course, all that was ignored by Kate and Riley.

The tiny human nodded, completely unashamed at being caught. She still had no idea what made the Denalis come here or why they were sticking around, and she was still pissed at the blatant lie Irina had given her. Not to mention she was still genuinely terrified of her own reaction to the three blondes, and they made her crave Sasha being with her more than anything. However, above all of that, she was hopelessly turned on, and she always had a habit of letting her lust lead her.

"Who am I to turn down such an invitation?" Riley purred. She only made it a few steps, however, when Seth intervened.

"Kate doesn't like Leah!" Seth shouted, and that was enough to make Riley freeze. A confused look flashed across Kate's face when she saw Riley's shoulders drop, followed by Riley clutching at her heart, looking almost wounded and betrayed at the knowledge. Everyone was so focused on how dramatic Riley was being that they didn't notice the way Seth put his hand behind his back, getting a subtle high five from Paul.

"You don't like my favorite bitch? Damn, now there's no way I can sleep with you." Riley shook her head in disappointment, and Kate didn't know what to do to fix things. Should she be mad at the boy for blurting out the truth? Mad at Leah? Mad at herself? Riley let out a sigh, pulling Kate out of her inner panic. "I guess I have no choice but to watch from afar. Now, I'm not saying to beat the shit out of any of my wolves...but I certainly wouldn't mind watching a few other displays of sexy either."

Kate perked up at that. She wanted to see sexy? Now that was definitely something she could do. "You got it. I'll get you in my bed yet," Kate said with a wink, and then surprised everyone by pulling her shirt over her head and tossing it to her side.

Holy fuck, half naked Kate was almost too sexy for Riley. The curves and abs and body...she was nearly bowled right over at first sight.

"Oh, mother fucker of hell," was all Riley could manage, and while Kate had already jogged back to her makeshift ring with a now very uneasy Jared, Riley could almost feel Kate grin at Riley's words.

Riley was too busy drooling over Kate kicking ass to remember she was supposed to be training Bella. She also didn't notice how Irina had joined Tanya, the two talking in hushed whispers that even nearby vampires couldn't hear while both stared at her or how Leah was torn between glaring at the blondes and watching Riley with a conflicted look on her face. The one biggest problem Riley probably should have noticed was the strange tingling sensation in her right arm when Kate had walked closer, and how it still buzzed with energy when Kate walked away.

"Riley? Are we going to keep training, or are you going to keep drooling over girls all day?" Bella asked, mostly teasing.

It took a second, but Riley managed to turn her attention back to Bella and actually respond. "Excuse you? I only drooled over one."

Riley's weak attempt to defend her honor was answered with a snort from Bella. "Sure Riley, sure. You keep telling yourself that."

"You bet your ass I will." It was a shame that such a glorious woman was going to find her mate soon. While she was dead serious about not wanting to sleep with a girl who didn't like, and was most likely mean to, Leah, the fact was the woman's mind could always change. From what Riley remembered, Kate didn't seem to dislike Leah in the books. But Kate had only so long to not be a bitch toward Leah-and therefore making her beyond bangable-before she met Garrett and would no longer want someone else.

That is, if Riley's meddling hadn't made them fall off the rails of the original plotline, but Riley wasn't about to get her hopes up.

Then again, maybe it was best for the original plot to continue. That way, things will go the way they should, Riley would be able to keep her distance like she had originally planned before her lust had gotten the better of her, and the Denalis would finally go back to Alaska and stop freaking Riley out.

Wait, the original plot. The end of the books. If everything went back to the original plotline, then Irina…

Riley completely forgot about ogling Kate, her gaze finding Irina's like some part of Riley always knew where the woman was. Irina of course noticed Riley's sudden attention on her, as she had never taken her eyes off of Riley. In that moment, Riley's heart flipped in her chest at the intensity in the woman's golden gaze, but she wasn't about to worry about herself in that moment.

That's right, in the original story, Irina would die. Yeah, Riley barely knew her, and yeah, Irina lied to her, and yeah that pissed Riley off. But Riley didn't want her to die. The idea of Irina dying made a strange panic well in her chest, hand finding her locket and stroking it for comfort. Yet comfort wouldn't come, not fully; not so long as Irina was in danger. Riley didn't have the solace to believe Irina wouldn't die, not after what happened to Leah's dad. Even if the original plotline had changed, he still died right when he should in the book. Which meant, no matter how much Riley screwed up the original plot, the chance of Irina being killed on the same day as she had in the story was high. Way too high for Riley's comfort.

I swore I wouldn't lose anyone else. But would I be able to save someone who's destiny is supposedly set in sto-er, writing? Riley squeezed her locket lightly when Irina's golden eyes almost seemed to glow with concern, and a strange panic made Riley's throat tighten. Sasha had changed my fate enough times over the years. If she were here, she'd be able to stop Irina from dying, no problem. Riley couldn't help but think such a thing with a tinge of bitterness and longing. Whether Sasha could solve the problem or not didn't matter, because Sasha wasn't here. She never would be.

With emotion welling up, Riley was relieved more than she could explain when she felt a familiar hand on her shoulder. Leah. Riley turned to her friend, who was clearly perturbed at how distressed Riley was becoming. Even though Riley was doing pretty well overall with hiding her emotions, Leah was already able to see through her, and had been for a while.

Again, Riley remembered what Sasha said about showing weakness, and it made her tense up, made her want to pull back.

"Don't pull that shit with me," Leah murmured. "If something is wrong, you don't need to hide it. Not with anyone in the pack, and sure as hell not with me."

"Weren't you supposed to be training?" Riley asked weakly, but she forced her body to loosen up and relax. Doing that made Leah relax too, and when Leah pulled her into a quick hug, Riley returned it briefly despite the soft snarls in the background.

"Bella came and got me." Leah wanted to do something more, to kiss Riley's temple or cheek or do some sappy romantic gesture to show Riley how much Leah cared. But of course she didn't do any of that. Not in front of all these people, and she really didn't want to do it with Riley. If she crossed that line with Riley, she was terrified as to what would happen to their relationship.

I don't know if I can imprint or not...but do I really want to take such a risk with Riley? She isn't mine, not in my wolf's eyes, anyway. If I try to pursue what Riley makes me feel, I could end up putting her through what I felt with Sam one day. That is not the kind of pain I'm going to wish on anyone, let alone her.

Riley pulled back first, uncomfortable with her moment of weakness. "I'll tell you when I can." Tell you some of it, anyway. She forced a grin on her face as she looked up at the she wolf. "Now get back to work, gorgeous. I want you nice and tender for me later."

"Why the fuck do you want me tender? What am I, a piece of meat?" Leah complained. Yet even as she complained, she was starting to walk away so as to start training again.

"Yeah you are. You're the tastiest piece of meat I ever had the pleasure of-" Riley quickly ducked, just in time as a large clump of mud went sailing above her head, right where her face had been moments earlier. She popped back to her feet the second she was safe, keeping her eyes on Leah's ass despite herself as the wolf continued to walk away. "You can't deny how yummy you are forever, Leah!" Riley shouted after her, then quickly rolled out of the way as Leah snatched up another handful of dirt and chucked it at her.

"You're playing with fire, Riley," Bella's voice came from her side, and Riley popped back up to her feet to face the brunette.

"Actually, I'd say it's dirt being played with, not fire. And Leah is the one who's playing with it, I'm just trying to give her a compliment or two." Riley's cocky smile fell for a moment as she lowered her voice. She knew everyone could still hear her, but it gave her an illusion of privacy-something Riley currently craved. "Thanks. For getting her."

Bella nodded, taking a moment to acknowledge how much it clearly meant to her friend, before smiling. "You think you might owe me one for my heroics?" she asked, attempting to get things back to a more teasing atmosphere that she knew Riley would appreciate.

Riley's eyes sparkled with mischief that made Bella groan, even before Riley spoke. "Oh, definitely. And I'm thinking I'm going to repay you by working your ass extra hard in training from now on."

"That doesn't sound like you're appreciating me very much," Bella muttered, and the sulky tone of her voice only made Riley laugh more.

"Trust me, Bella, I'm appreciating you, very much. In fact, I could even say I'm taking my time appreciating every inch of you." Bella laughed and blushed as Riley made a huge show of looking Bella over and licking her lips. This time, Riley didn't hear growls from the Denali sisters but hisses, along with a snarl from Edward.

Oh yeah, Riley was so getting to make her cake, eat it, and even got to lick the spoon when it came to flirting with Bella. She still didn't know what was up with the Denalis-maybe they were trying to help Edward somehow and saw it as Riley trying to move in on a claimed mate?-but Riley was having way too much fun to stop. Besides, if Eddie boy ever lost it and came at her, Riley knew she could take him.

"Now, get back into that stance I showed you. Just because I'm sweet on your ass doesn't mean I'm going to be gentle with it." Riley mimed trying to kick Bella in the rear, laughing when she got a squeal. She found herself proud of Bella for a moment when the girl jumped away, and instead of tripping over nothing and falling flat on her face, she instead managed to steady herself and turn to face Riley properly. She barely even stumbled!

"You're such a dic-"

"Yes, yes I am. Despite not having one, I do feel I embody the spirit of the dick rather nicely," Riley seemed almost proud of her declaration.

"I was trying to say dictator before you so rudely interrupted, but glad to know my best friend is proud to be seen as a giant penis," Bella teased back, and unlike Riley, didn't hear the horrified gasp from Alice.

"But I'm her best friend!" Alice exclaimed at a volume only those nearby could hear. "Just because I don't flirt or compliment her ass enough doesn't mean I should be demoted, right Jasper?"

"I'm sure she sees you as her best friend just as much," Jasper did his best to console his mate, but he had never seen her this upset over something like a title before.

"Okay, everyone, food is ready!" Esme called before much more could happen. "Let's take a well deserved break; I made more than enough for everybody!"

Every shifter's gaze snapped to where Esme's voice had come from, and saw five giant picnic tables pushed together. Only moments ago, there hadn't been any tables out there, let alone food, but now the tables were covered with various dishes with barely enough room for anyone's plate should they want to sit and eat where they were. The only surprise-or lack thereof, depending on who was asked-was that Riley was already at the table, her plate piled high and her face stuffed. While the girl seemed to struggle with accepting any handouts in general, it seemed she was more than happy to take what she wanted from the Cullens anytime they offered.

Despite how much his mouth was watering, Quil reached out with one hand to stop Jared before he ran over to grab some of the food himself. "Wait, this could totally be a trap. Like they're trying to lure us into liking them with a shit ton of good food."

"Well it's working," Jared said, pushing past Quil's hand. He needed to get to the food before Riley ate it all.

"Hell yeah it is," Quil agreed, and that was it for any of the shifters' resistance.

Despite how things had started out, the atmosphere became lighthearted as shifters jostled each other out of the way for favorite dishes and filled their plates with enough food to feed a small army. In that moment, while no vamps joined in for obvious reasons, they shifters could almost see the vamps as normal people and forget their animosity toward them. There were still tensions and future threats, yet in that moment, there was peace.

Obviously, with Riley around, such peace could never last long.