Moonlight in Forks

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.

Blackmail

Getting Jacob's permission to stay as part of his pack was like setting off a light within Leah. Her whole mood shifted in an instant, the residual anger and bitterness of her heartbreak faded away, to be replaced with a strong determination to prove to herself and everyone else that she was worthy of this honor.

It didn't cure her short temper, she was often sarcastic, and would never suffer fools gladly, but she did make an effort to curb her impatience, or ride rough shod over others' opinions like she did in the old days. Her new improved attitude helped make the transition in his role as leader much smoother for Jacob. The she-wolf kept the youngsters in line, bossing them about, and not standing for any immature behavior. She was fiercely loyal to Jacob, immediately obeying his orders without question, unlike with the old pack, which had hindered Sam's ability to lead without constant friction from his former lover.

With the issue of the she-wolf sorted, at least temporarily, it freed up Jacob to concentrate on his other immediate problem-Sam Uley. Sam had gone straight to the tribal elders after the pack split, in an attempt to get them to help figure out a game plan to reunite the pack. This is where is got tricky. The elders knew that being Alpha was Jacob's birthright. Sam was really an imposter, forced to step into the role when Jacob refused to lead. He had been a good, faithful stand in for the true Alpha, but the tribal elders couldn't support his right and deny Jacob's. It was an impossibility.

Sam wasn't happy with this outcome at all. He had expected the elders support, not their indifference. They refused to interfere, pointing out that perhaps it was time for Sam to step down and arrange an orderly transition so that the two packs could be united under one leader once again-only this time it would be the true Alpha.

Jacob had his own meeting with the elders-which of course included his father-and they said essentially the same thing as they had to Sam. It was obvious to Jacob that the old men were out of their comfort zone. They could find no answers to the dilemma in any of the old stories. There had never been a split like this in the old packs, but then the old packs had always been small, consisting of maybe three or four wolves. The latest pack was growing at an exponential rate, now with the addition of Colin and Brady, they numbered ten wolves altogether.

Without any real helpful advice being offered by the elders of the tribe, Jacob knew that this was one problem he was going to have to figure out on his own. He took a few days off work to give himself some respite, as well as avoiding having to interact with Sam when in human form, just to give him some time to mull over the problem in peace.

Of course, he talked it over with Bella. She listened to him quietly, offering up an opinion now and again, but the pack's politics were a difficult road to navigate, even for those involved, let alone a human. So, the most she could really offer was comfort and support, as he tried to work out the best solution for all concerned.

And right now-even though everyone else wanted the old pack to reunite under his leadership-he didn't think it would work. It would mean Sam and Leah sharing the same head space again, and meant the imprinted wolves pitched against those who weren't. Jacob was beginning to think that the split was a natural evolution for the wolves, that having so many in one pack was detrimental to the whole-and that maybe, just maybe-it was better to have the two kept separate. It didn't mean they couldn't work together in some shape or form, right?

Jacob was running patrol one day with the Clearwater siblings. Seth and Leah were spread out wide on either side of him so they could cover more ground. Suddenly howls pierced the air.

"We've got incoming." Leah warned.

"I wonder who it is?"

Jacob's ears quivered as he listened intently to the howls, trying to separate the different voices. "There are at least two by my count."

"Did they split up?" Seth wondered.

The howls seemed to be coming from different locations now.

"I'm coming toward you, Sethy." Leah puffed. She could feel the air streaming into her lungs as she pushed herself to an incredible velocity. The forest whipped around her. "So far no one has challenged me."

"Are they going to attack?" Seth said in alarm.

"No." Jacob made his way toward the panicked youngster. "If you see them, do not confront them, Seth. Wait for me."

"I think I see them now…. They're slowing. Ugh-its so off not being able to hear them. I think…"

"What?"

"I think they've stopped."

"Waiting for the rest of the pack?"

"Sssh…feel that?"

Jacob absorbed the impressions. The faint, soundless shimmer in the air. "Someone is phasing."

"Feels like it." Leah agreed.

The she-wolf flew into the small open space where her brother had stopped to wait for her. She raked her claws in the dirt to slow her trajectory, spinning like a racing car.

"I'm here, Sethy."

"They're coming." Seth said nervously. "Slowly. Walking."

"I'm almost there." Jacob told them. He ran even faster than Leah. It felt horrible being separated from the siblings with potential danger so close. He didn't really think any of Sam's pack would hurt them, but still, the weight of responsibility for their welfare weighed heavily on his mind. He should be with them, between them and whatever was coming.

"Look who's getting all paternal!" Leah thought wryly.

"Focus, Leah." Jacob snapped.

"I think its three now." Seth said, bent down with his ear to the ground.

Jacob was impressed. The kid had good ears.

"No, Sethy, you're wrong." Leah corrected him. "Its two wolves and…." She choked on the last word. "One man."

Jacob reached the clearing then, moving immediately to the point position. Seth sighed with relief at the sight of him, taking his place at Jacob's right shoulder. Leah fell in on his left.

"Here we go." Jacob murmured. "Steady everyone."

They came into view a few seconds later, walking, as Seth had thought. Jared in front, human, hands up. Paul and Quil on four legs behind him. There was no aggression in their postures. They hung back behind Jared, alert but calm.

So, this was a diplomacy party.

Jacob stared at his former brothers, keeping perfectly still, eyes wary. All the while, Jared and the phased wolves stared back, waiting. It was eerie not hearing what Quil and Paul were saying to each other. Their expressions were blank-unreadable.

After a while, when Jacob didn't phase into his human form as Jared expected, the latter cleared his throat, and then nodded at Jacob.

"White flag of truce, Jake. We're here to talk."

"Think its true?" Seth asked.

"Makes sense, but…." Jacob didn't finish the thought.

"Yeah." Leah agreed. "But."

None of them relaxed their stance.

Jared frowned. "It would be easier to talk if I could hear you, too."

Jacob stared him down. He wasn't going to phase back until he was surer of the situation. Until it made sense. Why had Sam sent Jared as a spokesperson and not come himself?

"Okay, I guess I'll just talk, then." Jared sighed. "Jake, we want you to come back."

Quil let out a soft whine behind him. Seconding that statement. Jacob guessed he must be feeling lost without him and Embry.

"You've torn our family apart. Its not meant to be this way."

Jacob stood his ground, showing no reaction to that emotional statement. He warned Leah and Seth to stay quiet.

"We know that you feel…strongly about the situation. We know that you have unresolved differences of opinion with…with Sam at the moment. But splitting up the pack was an overreaction. We've given you time and space to think about it, surely you must realize you were wrong. Don't let your pride stop you doing the right thing, Jake."

Leah growled. "Overreaction? What a pompous idiot! Let me bite him on the ass, Jake, and teach him a lesson."

"Shut up, Leah." Jacob chastised her.

"Sorry."

Jared's eyes flickered to Seth and then back to Jacob. "Sam is willing to take this slowly, Jacob. He's calmed down, talked to the elders. They've decided that immediate action is in no one's best interest at this point."

"Bullshit." Jacob thought angrily. "Don't they think I wouldn't have spoken to the elders myself. As if I would fall for that!"

"Poker face, Jacob." Leah said slyly.

Jacob emitted a low growl of annoyance and Leah fell silent again, knowing she had overstepped the mark.

It was weird how distinct their joint thinking was now. The pack was already Sam's pack, was already 'them'. Something outside and other. It was especially weird to have Leah be a solid part of the 'us.' Jacob wondered whether to call for Embry, Colin and Brady to join them, but decided to delay getting them involved for the moment.

"So, what is your answer, Jake. Are you willing to forgo your pride and admit you make a mistake?" Jared asked.

Jacob's ears pressed against his skull; his muzzle pulled back over his teeth in a threatening manner as he emitted a low growl of anger. Leah was right, Jared was being a pompous asshole. How had he never noticed that before?

Jared raised his hands again. "Easy, Jake. You know what I mean. The point is Sam is willing to be forgiving. He understands the…the difficulties you've been faced with. And he is prepared to have a proper discussion and perhaps reach some kind of compromise where its feasible."

Jacob had had enough. He decided it was time to phase back. Closing his eyes and pulling himself together, he felt the air trembling around him, shaking out from him in small waves. He lifted himself up on his hind legs, catching the moment right so that he was fully upright as he shimmered into his human form.

"At last!" Jared said in relief. "Now we can talk easier."

"I think you've talked enough." Jacob said harshly as he yanked on his shorts to cover his nakedness. He had forgotten to warn Leah he was about to change. He heard her muffled huff of annoyance coming from behind, but ignored it.

There was a low whine of sadness from Quil. Jacob ignored him too. He might miss his friend, but he wasn't going to be made to feel guilty because Quil chose to stay with Sam.

"Come home." Jared offered again, his tone pleading. "We can sort this out. You belong with your brothers. Let Leah, Seth and the others come home, too."

Jacob laughed sardonically. "It was their choice to come with me. I didn't force them."

Leah turned her wolf head to look at her brother and then back at Jacob.

Jared noticed the movement. "Leah, I know why you chose to leave. You want to watch out for Seth, I get that." He glanced at Jacob, wariness showing in his eyes briefly, before resuming speaking. "Anyway, please, Leah. If you come back. Seth will come back. We all know Colin and Brady follow him. It might make Embry think twice, too. We want you back, Leah. Sam wants you back."

That did it. Leah's tail twitched like an angry cat.

"Sam told me to beg. He told me to literally get down on my knees if I have to. He wants you home, Lee Lee, where you belong."

Jacob felt like punching Jared for relaying that part of Sam's message. Talk about emotional blackmail. Uley was acting almost as bad as Cullen had with Bella. He turned his head and saw Leah flinch when Jared used Sam's old nickname for her. And, then, when he added those last three words, her hackles rose and she was yowling a long stream of snarls through her teeth. Jacob didn't need to be in her head to hear the cussing-out she was giving Jared, and neither did he.

Jacob ordered Leah to quieten down. She immediately snapped her jaw shut and bowed her head. When all was quiet, he faced Jared, his dark eyes flashing with anger.

"You really are something else, Jared, coming here and playing with Leah's emotions like that. You should be ashamed of yourself! Leah belongs wherever she wants to be. And right now, I can see why she took the first opportunity to get away from Sam, if resorting to emotional blackmail is what he does to get his own way! He's a fucking hypocrite!"

Leah raised her head again, touched by Jacob's defense and concern for her wellbeing.

Jared had the grace to look uncomfortable. It was obvious that Sam had placed an Alpha order on him, so that Jared had no choice but to repeat his words verbatim.

"Look, Jared, we're still family, okay." Jacob continued, after taking a few seconds to compose himself. "We'll get past the feud, but, until we do, we probably ought to stay out of each other's way."

"And how do you propose to do that, Jacob?" Jared snapped. "Both packs can't patrol the same patch of land without coming across each other. And where is your land now?"

"Where it has always been." Jacob stepped forward; challenge blazed in his eyes now. "I am the true Alpha, Jared. Don't forget that!"

Jared backed away a few paces. "I've said what I came to say." He muttered. "See you around, Jake. Or not." He turned away from Jacob, calling to Paul and Quil to follow him. "C'mon guys. We're done here."

Quil hesitated a moment, yelping softly in misery.

"Yeah, I miss you too, bro." Jacob said as he locked eyes with the chocolate brown wolf.

Quil jogged over to him, his head hanging down morosely. Jacob patted his shoulder in sympathy.

"I'm sorry, Quil. There is nothing I can do. This is the way it has to be for now."

Quil whined again. He pressed his nose to Jacob's forehead. He then looked over at Leah and Seth, before glancing over his shoulder at where the others had gone.

Jacob knew his friend was torn, so decided to make it easier on him. "Go home, Quil. Go home."

With one last agonized whine, Quil finally turned and took off after the others.

A/N-thanks for reading!