Author's Note: Woah, this is crazy, here I am with an update after all this time of being a horrible, undedicated writer. If you would like to scold me brutally, feel free to do so. To everyone hanging on to this story and having faith in me, I would like to thank you very dearly.

Here's a shoutout to some of my reviewers who have been consistent in reading and keeping up with this story so far: brankel1, Glykal, and IntialsLK. Thank you all so much for your thoughts and support!

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I only have claim over my own thoughts, plots, and O/C's.

Please enjoy!

REWRITTEN AND REUPLOADED ON 06/16/2023

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Chapter Four

"So, you're going to be graduating this year. How do you feel?" Leah asked from the table, dipping her spoon into a nearly empty bowl of cereal.

Her brother wrinkled his nose. "Like it's not really a big deal. I mean, after taking down vampires and fighting for my life in, like, epic battles, school is kind of boring."

Leah smiled. "Yeah, well, normal life had to come around again sometime. And it's not something to really be ungrateful for."

Seth shrugged and popped the last bit of his toast in his mouth. He was standing in their kitchen, eating quiet breakfast with her. Honestly, she had to agree it was a little strange calmly chatting with her baby brother before he went off to school. How long had it been since they interacted like a normal family? She was sure this was what sibling dynamics were supposed to be like. In a world that wasn't rampant with vampires and children busy turning into werewolves, this was considered normal.

She dropped her spoon back into her bowl after chewing on her last bite. She leaned back in her chair, staring at her brother. "So, college?"

Seth's face twisted up and he shrugged again. "I don't know about all that. It's kind of expensive and after missing almost a whole year of school, I don't know if it's really in the cards for me." He didn't say it as if he pitied himself, but that wasn't how Seth was. He was realistic, but never pessimistic in that realism. He was always looking forward to the next step in life, however unexpected it might be.

He had never been like her - that was something she was grateful for.

Leah hoped he would never suffer like she had, but she didn't really think he would. He was so different than her. He handled things better. He handled turning into a wolf better. He handled their father's passing better. He handled her leaving the Reservation for two years. If life didn't go his way, he would still be smiling just as freely as he was right now.

It wasn't that he didn't feel heartache or pain, it was that he was strong enough to overcome it. In that aspect, he was a lot stronger than her.

"So, what do you want to do then?" she asked curiously.

He went to grab his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder. "I haven't decided yet, I guess. I don't know if I could leave La Push, like you could. But at the same time, I don't know if I want to stay." He hesitated, looking at her with a creased brow. "And, well, if I do stay. I think I might start phasing again. I… kind of miss it."

After hearing his declaration, Leah took a moment to process it, but found she didn't really need to. It didn't surprise her. She'd always suspected he would go back to the pack someday. He loved being a wolf, more than any of the other shifters.

To an extent, she also loved being a wolf. It was in their blood. But she didn't like everything that came with being in her shapeshifter form, like the shared group thoughts.

Seth hadn't minded it so much. Even though her brother loved her, always stood by her side, she was sure that without her there, he would've gotten along a lot better with everyone in the pack mind. Instead, he'd been forced to endure hateful thoughts about her and lustful ones. The latter was something no brother should have to withstand.

"Will that upset you, Leah? I wish it wasn't Sam. I wish it was Jacob, but…"

"But it's not."

"Yeah."

Leah stood up. Without hesitation, she wrapped him in a hug.

"I just want you to be happy. You weren't angry with me when I left. I won't be angry with you for staying and doing what you want. I'll support whatever decision you make."

He hugged her back tightly. "Thanks, sis."

She pulled away, still holding him by the shoulders. She stared at him intently. "But, if anything, and I do many anything, happens and you get hurt. I will be kicking some ass, I don't care if I phase anymore or not, baby brother." Seth laughed and stepped out of her hold.

"Yeah, Yeah, okay, you have my permission. But I won't get hurt. I'm not a kid anymore. And I'm stronger than you think."

She smiled lovingly at him.

"Yeah, I know."

He suddenly snapped his head to the clock on the wall. "Oh, shit, I gotta go. I'm gonna have to run to make it on time."

"Whatever gets you out of talking with your big sister," she said with a wave of her hand. Seth rolled his eyes in response. He grabbed another piece of toast off the plate on the counter, stuffing it in his face as he made a beeline for the door.

"If you see mom, tell her I'm going to be home late! I'm going over to Collin's to play video games," he yelled, his mouth full as he rushed out of the house.

The door slammed loudly behind him and then she was alone.

For two years, she was alone. It wasn't as hard as she initially thought it would be. She had missed her family greatly, but other than that, it hadn't been all that difficult to acclimate to. She had been attached to the hip with Sam from a young age and they'd only been apart for a relatively short time before she phased.

After that, she was never really alone again. Most of her days were spent running hours of patrol with someone else and any private time was instantly corrupted as soon as she phased into the pack mind.

Being by herself for two years had been lonely, but she'd been lonely for a long time before that, even while surrounded by others. It was nothing she wasn't already used to.

Coming home the day before, she'd been in a frenzy. All of her senses were on haywire and she kept sniffing the air for the scent of something sickly sweet.

She hadn't caught even the slightest whiff of anything. There were also no more howls following the first one, so it was possible it was nothing serious, maybe even a false alarm.

Despite her reasoning, she was still on edge. Once she found Seth sitting ignorantly in the living room, playing a video game with lots of guns and violence, and she called her mother, who was safely over at Charlie's, she'd felt a lot better.

Leah hadn't told Seth. It wasn't just because she didn't want to worry him, although she truly didn't. She knew he would be worried, but her reasons for staying quiet went deeper than that.

Leah had suspected, to a degree, that her brother missed his wolf. If she missed hers at all, then it was guaranteed that Seth did too. It seemed that he felt the pull even more strongly than she did. Their conversation today only solidified her assumptions.

She was fine with him phasing again, once he was older, but not yet. The school year only just started. She wanted him to have whatever time was left to be a kid and grow up before he chose to return to the pack. It was hard to suppress the urge to phase. Once he started, it would be hard to stop again. It was a decision only an adult could make.

As soon as she ran into Paul, she planned on asking him about what had happened yesterday. Did they take down a vampire? Was it still on the loose? Was everyone alright? Just because she wasn't in the pack anymore, didn't mean she wanted to sit in the dark. She was still a wolf in blood. That blood sang loudly, demanding to know if there were any threats to their peoples' safety. It was her birthright to know. There wasn't any danger in telling her, she wasn't someone outside of the loop, so if there was something going on, she deserved some answers. Even if she didn't deserve them, she was going to get them one way or another.

Leah Clearwater was just as stubborn as the mother that raised her. It was a trait that could be a vice at times, but it also gave way to fierce determination.

The phone ringing startled her out of her inner monologue. She jumped as the sound pierced her sensitive ears.

She walked to the kitchen counter, picking up the receiver.

"Hello?"

A crackle on the line and then silence. She tried again.

"Hello?"

No one answered and before she got the chance to curse whoever was prank calling them, they hung up. The dial tone played loud and long in her ear before she finally sat the phone down.

For some reason, the call set her on edge and she'd already been on edge in the first place. Rationally, she knew it was probably nothing, a prank caller or wrong phone number, but still, a dark feeling coiled in her gut. It felt like she was a character playing out a foreshadowing scene in a horror movie.

That was it. She was finding Paul and figuring out what in the hell was going on.

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Leah knew where Paul lived, but before she went traipsing over to his house uninvited, she decided she would take a stroll through the woods. If he was on patrol, hopefully she would pick up his scent. If anything else was out there, hopefully she would pick up on that as well.

The forest was quiet. It set her at ease, the sounds of rustling leaves and wind whistling through the trees accompanying her. The foliage crunched audibly underneath her feet. Earth and moss drifted into her nose and she breathed deep, calming breaths.

The further she got, the more that ease faded into anxiousness. The scents of her brothers were faint, as if no one had been on patrol today. She kept her nose to the air, hoping the wind would carry with it the scent of someone familiar.

It never did. Where were the other wolves? Was no one guarding the Reservation?

Sam would never allow that. There should always be a shifter on patrol - unless something went wrong.

Leah began to jog, keeping her eyes sharp on the surroundings around her. If there was a vampire, she would smell it well before she saw it. She kept all her senses on high alert, head swiveling around her. She couldn't help feeling off, her skin prickling uncomfortably with the sensation that something was coming.

All of a sudden, she caught a scent. Her eyes went wide and she immediately turned heel to head in the direction of it.

Feet pounded hard against the ground, breath catching in her throat.

It couldn't be. It just couldn't be. She wasn't imagining things, was she? Still, her nose wouldn't lie. She couldn't let herself believe it even as hope bloomed sharp in her chest. She needed to see to believe.

Finally, the proof stood right in front of her eyes. She couldn't help herself as she leaped, tackling the person to the ground.

"You're here!" she cried loudly, surprising herself as tears came to her eyes.

"Come on, Leah, this isn't like you. Get off of me," he ground out from underneath her heavy form. She laughed, forcing herself to let go of him. She stood up, brushing dirt and leaves off her clothes.

He climbed to his feet, casting her a wide grin. "I didn't think you would be so happy to see me."

She rolled her eyes. "Shut up, idiot. I've missed you."

It was Jacob's turn to roll his eyes. "I guess I've missed you too, Beta." Suddenly, his face cracked a little. "Wasn't too sure you did. It wouldn't have hurt to call. I gave you my cell number."

She looked away. Despite the fact they hadn't always gotten along the best, Leah had been his second and Jacob her Alpha. There was a bond and trust there that would never be broken. She didn't want him to feel like she'd abandoned him, even though she had done just that.

She didn't truly feel apologetic for her actions. She needed a break. From everyone. She needed to find herself and she wasn't sure she could do that with any of her past weighing her down.

"I'm sorry, Jake. But I needed time-"

He shook his head. "You don't need to defend yourself to me. You've done that for long enough." He gave her a faint smile. "I wasn't mad, I was worried. I just wanted to know that you were okay after I dissolved the pack."

She hugged him tight again. "I good now, Jake. At least, I think so. I know I'm better than I ever was before. And I actually have you to thank for that." Suddenly, she wrinkled her nose and stepped back.

He shrugged. "I know. Vamp stink. Comes with the family though." She tilted her head up, but didn't catch a whiff of anyone else nearby. "Yes, they're here. Some of them are, anyway. Bella wanted to see her dad." His face was defensive. She knew he was expecting backlash from that. He wasn't wrong to. Sam and the council wouldn't be too pleased to learn that the cold ones had returned to their neighboring land.

No one would be pleased. Even after all that had happened, the rift between species was too deep to be healed simply because of Jacob's actions. But she wouldn't be one of the people bringing him down because of history. She knew what it was like not to be accepted because of things that happened that were beyond your control. She wouldn't do that to Jacob. They hadn't been alive when history had been set in stone. Her Alpha had been so young when everything with Bella happened - too young to make the choices that he'd been forced to make.

Then, just when he was starting to actually grow up, he imprinted. And that wasn't his choice either.

But he was happy now, after all the heartache he'd had to experience to get there, he was finally happy. And being happy wasn't something to be taken lightly. It was hard earned, even harder to maintain, and she wasn't going to be the one to take it away.

It had been taken from her far too many times.

"Well, can't say I'm too happy about Bella, but maybe Edward will finally buy me that car he promised all those years ago."

"He promised you a car?" Jake asked quizzically. Then he waved his hand and shook his head, a sour look on his face. "Never mind, he bought Ness a new car simply because she got a scratch on her old one. And he tries to buy me a new motorcycle everytime they release a new model. Why am I asking that?"

Leah shrugged. "The Cullen's have always been charitable, whether we wanted their charity or not. Then again, we we've done a lot for them. So maybe they feel like they owe us."

"Why don't you do it?"

She snapped her head to Edward. She snarled. The bloodsucker should stay out of her thoughts.

He smiled apologetically. "I'm sure you know by now I can't always control it." Leah huffed. He was hunting and she was accompanying him and Esme in order to keep them safe from the other wolves. It had been hell and highwater apparently to convince the leach to hunt, but Jacob, Bella, and Esme had all managed to persuade him. Not that Leah cared if he sucked innocent animals dry or not, but the vamp was looking as even a werewolf might be an appetizing choice for a meal. "Even if I hadn't fed for a thousand years, I still wouldn't be the slightest bit tempted by your blood." She grumbled out what was a laugh.

It was quiet for a moment before Edward said something again. "When this is all over, I can give you money, even get you a car. You can disappear if you want to."

She couldn't leave this place. It was her home. Besides, now that she was in Jacob's pack, things weren't so bad. But Edward was right, Leah had been picturing that exact scenario just moments ago. Vanishing into thin air, going to a place where werewolves and vampires were all just fairytales.

None of that mattered though. If her brothers ended her life in order to get to the Cullen's ever growing demon spawn, she wouldn't have a care in the world anymore. She'd be dead.

Why did he even want to help her anyway?

"For choosing to leave your pack to help protect my family."

Well, it was really more to get away from Sam. This just happened to come with the job description.

She didn't want his help though. She was picturing leaving now and Cullen wouldn't want her running away at this particular moment. He needed her. As he'd just said, she was here to protect his family. To stand guard over his unborn parasite and his soon to be dead (one way or another) bride.

Edward hissed.

Leah pictured him using her own dead body to barricade the door against the other wolves. She smirked, knowing she was right.

"Despite your distasteful thoughts and visions, my offer still stands," he growled out.

She had to give him props. She would have sank her teeth into someone for far less by now. Edward definitely had more anger control than she did.

"Well, you're certainly giving me a run for my money," he responded quietly.

Leah snorted. Maybe the man wasn't so bad after all. For a vampire, anyway.

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Okay, and here we are. This is something and I have wrote it and you have read it and I thank you for reading it and also I'm sorry. I know I'm terrible at time management and also I have huge writer's block, but this is an update! I did write something! So, small victories? Right?

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you think! Until next time (whenever that may be)!