Uncle Embry came barreling through the doors of the hospital like a tornado in the middle of a hurricane. His face was riddled with paternal concern. "Where is she?" he asked, stopping in front of me and Wyatt.

"Bebe and Cameron are in there with her right now," Wyatt answered.

My parents came rushing in behind them. I waved them over. "She's doing better," I told all of them. "She has a small skull fracture, a broken wrist, and they had to pump her stomach."

Embry cursed as he rubbed a frustrated hand over his face. "How could you guys let this happen?"

"Hey, no, we're not going to blame the kids for this. It was clearly an accident," Dad jumped in.

"Wyatt, sweetie, can you take Embry to the back to see Cassie?" Mom asked in a sweet voice. Wyatt hesitated for a second before nodding as he spun on his heel to guide Uncle Em to see his daughter.

As soon as they disappeared around the corner, I collapsed into my mother's arms, blinking away my tired tears. She always smelled of lavender; it was like breathing in home. Mom ran a hand through my hair. "Oh, my sweet girl," she cooed.

I glanced at my dad and gave him a sad smile. "I missed you both so much," I sighed. "I'm sorry you had to come home like this."

"Baby, we're just happy we didn't come home to someone dead," Dad said. "Have you seen her?"

I pursed my lips tight and shook my head. Everyone had been in to see Cassie except for me. It was selfish but…I wasn't ready to see her like that. I had checked in with the doctor every hour on the hour since I brought her into the emergency room. Bebe hadn't left Cass's side in over 24 hours and Wyatt and Nate were taking turns staying with me. Every time I felt like one of them was hovering, they took the hint and sent the other one in to keep me company while I waited for more news.

I didn't need them doting over me though. I didn't need to be comforted; I wasn't the one in pain. The only thing that mattered was that Cassie was alright and that she would recover without issue.

I was nearing two days without sleep. Wyatt kept me pumped with horrible hospital coffee because he knew it was better to keep me awake than to try to convince me to go home and rest.

"Uncle Embry's really mad at us, isn't he?" I asked quietly.

Dad shook his head as he came to my side. He put a comforting arm around my shoulders. "No, not at all, baby girl."

"You'll understand when you're a parent," Mom said. "Your safety comes first always. When one of you is hurting, we're all hurting."

The memory of hearing Cassie scream before hitting her head flashed through my mind. I shuttered. I couldn't get that sound out of my head. Her skull hitting that boulder will never not ring in my ears.

Wyatt came back out with his hands in his pockets. "Hey Aunt Leah, Bianca's asking for you."

Mom glanced between me and Dad apprehensively for a second. "Alright, wait here. I won't be long," she said before walking to the back with Wyatt.

Dad and I ended up wandering toward the hospital cafeteria. They were nearing closing time, but Dad convinced them to let us take whatever was left of the hot food and a few of the prepackaged sandwiches. We found a little corner to sit in for privacy. I was twiddling my thumbs when he slid a small plate of french fries in front of me. Shaking my head, I moved the plate away. "When's the last time you ate?" Dad asked.

I shrugged, "I'm not very hungry."

He stopped as a sandwich was halfway in his mouth. Dad's brows furrowed before he put it down and scowled at me. "That's not what I asked you," he said. "Have you eaten today, lovebug?"

I sighed as a ran a hand through my hair, catching a knot. I also hadn't showered in two days. He challenged me softly with his eyes. "No," I admitted. "I just keep replaying it in my head. Every time I even think about food, I can hear her scream…and it makes me sick."

"You feel responsible," he concluded. I didn't need to agree with Dad for him to know it was true. "That's a lot of weight on your shoulders, Hadley."

"My best friend got hurt and I could have prevented it," I told him honestly. "If I had been a better friend…or if I was spending more time with her—,"

"Cassie's decisions are hers alone; you don't have any influence of them, sweetie. Her sneaking out is not your fault."

"It's not not my fault though."

He rolled his eyes with a light chuckle, "Good lord, you are your mother's child." He scooted his chair until he was next to me. Draping his arm around the back of my chair, Dad picked his next words carefully. "Sweetie, people are always going to be influenced by the new shiny things they know nothing about. Now I'm not saying Reese is a bad influence, but Cassie is…hmm…impressionable. You did the right thing, Hadley. I know how easy it can be to blame yourself when accidents happen, but that's exactly what they are: accidents."

I didn't realize I was crying until I felt my dad wipe a tear from my cheek. "I try so hard to keep it together while you guys are away," my voice cracked.

"I think our versions of 'keep it together' might be a little different, lovebug," he joked. "All we ask is that you don't burn the house down and keep your brother and sister unharmed. We know what it's like to feel this pressure, to be a good leader. But you know, before anything else, you're human."

Human. I've always had a hard time with that. My entire life, I've felt the pressure to keep up with the Alpha standard. I took care of everyone and I made sure all of the ducks were aligned. I trusted myself enough to help Wyatt during his first phase, but also made the decision to sneak Nate out of his house in the middle of the night. Was that that human part? Did I push the rules too much?

"You wanna know something?" Dad continued. "When Lee and I first got started, we had no idea what we were doing. We were two hot headed kids, making it up as we went along."

"Really?" I asked, still pouting a little.

He nodded, "Oh yeah. The Bond was a little controversial; it was splitting the pack right down the middle. Your Uncle Sam hated the idea and we were always fighting. And then one day, your mom said 'let's settle it like they used to.' She took us to the top of the cliff and we just brawled. We ended up rolling right off the cliff into the ocean."

"Wait, what?" I balked.

He seemed amused by the memory. Human. That word crossed my mind again. Sometimes it's easy to think of your parents as just your parents. As I looked at my father, I had to remind myself that he was Jacob, his own person. "Your mom blamed herself for months; she told herself if she hadn't suggested going up to the cliff, we wouldn't have gotten hurt. She's not wrong, buuut—,"

"Are you talking about me again?" Mom's voice playfully cut in. She approached our table and sat down. "Cassie is doing great. She's resting right now, but the doctor says she should be clear to come home in a few days. They're just keeping her for observation."

"Do Uncle Em and Bebe hate me?" I cringed.

"Of course not, baby girl. Accidents happen," Mom said.

"That's what I said," Dad chimed in. "I was just telling her the cliff story."

Mom hummed in remembrance, kind of rolling her eyes. I said, "I've never heard that story before."

"Yeah, I like to keep that one locked away pretty tight," Mom commented, leaning back in her chair. My mom. Leah. She was Leah before she was my mom. Equipped with her own regrets and proud moments.

"I was saying—before we were interrupted," Dad fake scolded, "these accidents sometimes produce the best lessons. Sometimes a shift in perspective. It sure as hell kicked us into high gear."

"That's true," Mama agreed. "I hate thinking about that day but, if it hadn't happened, we wouldn't have come together the way we needed to when everything else happened that year. So, don't be too down on yourself about this. The most important thing is that Cassie is breathing; that might not have been the case if you hadn't acted so fast."

"You've always shown us great leadership skills, Hadley," Dad told me.

I wasn't sure the Council would agree. "Stop inflating my fragile ego, you guys," I half joked. I leaned into my dad, feeling instantly comforted by their presence. "I'm so glad you're home."

Dad reached to pull the plate of fries toward me again. "We're happy to be home, lovebug. Now please eat something."

The fries were cold, but still yummy. I ate enough to appease them until they finally convinced me that it was time to go home.

XXXXXXXXX

Kim Cameron was kind enough to make dinner for us when we got back to the house. Tomato and basil was thick in the air as I followed my parents and Wyatt through the door. It really does take a village. "Oh, you're just in time," Kim called out. "I just put garlic bread in the oven."

The rest of the Cameron boys were sitting quietly in the living room, watching Family Guy. It was the quietest I'd ever seen them. Will was standing at the sink, washing dishes. His face lit up when he saw Mom and Dad, rushing over to hug them. Mama kissed him on the top of the head, sending him the purest of love. "I missed you, bud," she said, squeezing him tight. "Where's my littlest one?"

"I put her to bed about an hour ago," Kim said as she set the table. "Sit, sit! The spaghetti and meatballs is almost ready."

"I'm not hungry," Wyatt sighed.

"I'm not either," I chimed in. I tugged on his sleeve a little. "Come upstairs with me?"

He gave me a strange look but agreed anyway. I couldn't even try to pretend not to notice that Wyatt was being unusually quiet. I mean…these were unusual circumstances, but this felt different.

I quietly closed my bedroom door behind us and leaned my back against it. My heart was still hurting at the fact that one of us was hurting, but I was a little relieved to be home instead of resting my eyes in a hospital chair. Wyatt sat on the corner of my bed, a little dazed and a little distant. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. "I'm…I'm exhausted," he said.

"It's like the night that wouldn't end," I responded. I was in desperate need of a shower, and I could barely keep my eyes open at this point. The adrenaline was rapidly draining from my body. "Thank you," I said, "for staying at the hospital with me."

"You don't have to thank me for that. Cass is family." His voice seemed so cold. I tried to catch his eye but no luck. I could feel irritation rising slowly in him. "I just wish…" he trailed off and then just shook his head.

"What's wrong?" I asked, sitting next to him. "You heard the doctor; Cassie's going to be fine."

He clenched his jaw before saying, "I hate the way everything went down."

I didn't say anything. I knew he was more likely talking out loud than talking to me.

"It's just fucked up that the person actually responsible for Cassie getting hurt is nowhere to be found," he kept going. "I mean, how shitty is that? We let them on our land and they just dip when things get hard?"

"Wyatt, come on, Reese and Travis—,"

He cut me off. "Don't say their names to me, alright? I'm too pissed off."

"Being pissed off isn't going to change what happened," I pointed out calmly. I stood up and tried to touch him; my stomach dropped when he snatched himself away from me. "What is your problem?"

"Did you kiss him?" Wyatt asked. Stunned to silence, the kiss immediately flashed in my head. In all of this mess, I hadn't even thought of the fact that I had kissed someone else. Like ever. Wyatt was my first kiss and he was the only boy I'd ever kissed. I opened my mouth to speak but all that came out was short breaths. "It's a yes or no."

"D-Do we have to talk about this right now?" I choked out.

He shook his head in disappointment. "Now or never, Lee."

There was no out for this. Wyatt is the most patient, most understanding, most compassionate guy I'd ever met and I probably abused that. He's going to hate me. "Yes, but I—."

Wyatt whirled around and stormed down the stairs. "There's no but, Hadley. The 'yes' is good enough," he said with his back turned to me.

I chased after him. "No, no, no, Wyatt stop! The 'but' is important too!"

"I can't even look at you right now." He rushed down the stairs, past my family and his family, and out the door.

I was only steps behind him, snatching his shirt to make him turn around. When he finally did, he looked so angry. "I know you're upset, but I really just need you to listen to me."

"Listen to what, Hadley? Listen to you try to make it seem like it's not a big deal. I know you, ok? I know you can talk yourself out of anything."

"I'm not trying to do that. I would never do that to you. I just…" You just what, girl? What do you really have to say for yourself? "After we got pushed in the pool, he kissed me in the bathroom, and it caught me off guard. I don't have an excuse; I don't have anything else to say about it. That's what happened."

The thunder rumbled above us in the distance. Wyatt glared at me for a solid minute. It felt like a lifetime. "Hadley, I've been waiting and walking on eggshells and asking you in every way possible if you have feelings for me—,"

"Wyatt, you know I have feelings for you—!"

"—and trying to figure out if now is finally the time when we can figure this shit out—,"

"—if you would just listen for a second!"

"—now I feel like an idiot for pushing so hard," he finished. "Now I feel stupid for thinking we would actually make this work. Especially after all of that shit with Kaya and Ephraim in that spirit place. All of that bullshit about us being stronger together…how do we even know if it means anything?"

The lightning cracked hard right above us, but there was no rain. No hint, no scent. I looked up at the sky and felt in my spirit that it was a message. But what was it saying? The air was electric, unlike anything I'd ever felt. I focused back on Wyatt who was about to turn to walk away from me. "It didn't mean anything," was all I could say. "He doesn't mean anything to me, Wyatt. You do. You have to know that."

"Then why did you let it happen?" he asked seriously.

It was a good question. A great question, even, that I didn't have the answer to. Why did I let Travis kiss me? I don't know. I still don't know.

He threw his hands up in frustration. "That's enough for me," he said before he turned around and left.

The thunder rolled again before the bright flash of lightning struck in the same spot. Lightning never strikes in the same place twice. I watched Wyatt walk away, feeling that pit in my stomach once again. It was almost crippling. My heart squeezed in my chest as a tear rolled down my face.

When I got back into the house, it was dead silent. I stopped in front of the living room and swallowed the lump in my throat. I couldn't look any of them in the eye. "I appreciate everyone not ever speaking of this moment," I whispered as I kept crying. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

It was hard enough knowing that my best friend was in the hospital; it was something completely different when your person looks at you like they don't know who you are anymore. I stared at the wall for what felt like hours. And when my mom came into the room, she held me while I cried. She didn't talk; she knew I didn't need her to talk. I just needed her to wash me with love and understanding. I couldn't even bring myself to think of the possibility that Wyatt would never speak to me again. It was too hard.

XXXXXXXXX

The boys started to pop phases like popcorn. First, it was Cam, then Gabriel, then Hunter. Other than helping the boys learn control a couple of times, I had kept myself pretty isolated while I attempted to get my emotions together.

The rain hadn't stopped in days, almost a torrential downpour. And the lightning kept striking in the same place every evening since Wyatt and I fell out.

My mom gave me some of her old movies to lift my spirits. But watching 27 Dresses didn't have that same warm fuzzy feeling that I was expecting. Watching people fumble around until they figure out that love was in front of them all along felt like a reminder that I had fucked up big time.

That James Marsden character is really cute though. I think he was in that Tarantino movie. I'd rather watch that.

Will knocked on my door before swinging it open. "Hey ugly," he called.

"Get out," I said.

"Mom wants to know if you're coming out of your cave today."

"Take that 'get out' as a no, please and thank you. Shut the door on your way out."

I knew he was lingering by the door but I couldn't tell if it was just to annoy me or if it was something else. When I looked at the door, his face was scrunched like he was trying to figure out what to say. "He's going to forgive you," he finally settled on.

My eyes wandered to my desk where a photo of me and Wyatt always sat unbothered. It was an old picture; I think we were about 3 years old in it. Attached at the hip always. Holding hands like our lives depended on it. "I'm not so sure about that," I responded to my brother.

"I am," he said surely before closing the door behind him.

I finished watching Katherine Heigl profess her love in front of an entire wedding party and decided to get out of bed. I skulked downstairs to the kitchen where Mom was sitting with Melody at the kitchen table with her color and number cards out. "What's this one?" Mom asked in her baby voice.

"Mmmmm…" Melody paused to think. "Purple!"

"Aren't you just the smartest little girl in the whole world?" Mom said cheerfully. She tickled Melody, sending my baby sister into a giggle fit. Mama looked over her shoulder right as I was passing. "And there's my other smartest little girl. How are you feeling?"

I grunted out a sad response as I opened the freezer.

"I'm going to pretend like that was English," she teased. "Your grandpa called for you again this morning."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. He'd been calling for days. Apparently, the Council was 'taking statements' about what happened that night. Nate told me he, Wyatt, and Cameron all had to meet with the Council one-on-one to tell their story. I was the last one left to speak, but I had been avoiding my grandparents' calls for days. Reese and Travis were nowhere to be found, Wyatt hated me, and I was so ready for the Earth to swallow me whole.

It felt like a game board and I just kept landing on the 'go back to start' square. Any misstep and everything could be completely thrown off. If I tell the truth, does it look like I'm pointing fingers? Do I let everyone else's story just speak for itself? If Reese and Travis had just disappeared into the night forever, then we could chalk this up as an accident and move on. It could be that easy. It really could. But Matthew was still on our land, which, to me, meant that he knew they were going to come back. "I'll call him later," I mumbled in reply.

Mom's cell phone vibrated on the table. "Hey B," she answered. "What's up?"

"Mama, do we have ice cream?" I asked, staring into the completely packed freezer.

"No, baby, there's no ice cream," she answered before continuing to talk to Bebe. "Yeah, she finally decided to come out of her cave today," she chuckled lightly.

"I'm in emotional turmoil, Mother!" I huffed.

"Yes honey," she appeased me. "Nah, I don't think she'd be up for it."

"Up for what?" I asked, sitting at the table.

"Maybe minding your own business while I'm on the phone," Mom said sarcastically. She listened for a second before saying, "Ok, I'll ask her." Then she moved the phone mic away from her mouth. "Bebe wants to know if you want to go with them to go pick up Cassie from the hospital."

"Yes!" I answered immediately. "Yes, yes, yes, 100% yes."

Mom nodded and told Bebe that I would be at their house in about an hour. When they hung up, Mom put a hand over mine and gave me that sympathetic look I'd been seeing for the past few days. I always thought my mother was the most beautiful woman in the whole world. Her hazel eyes were truly the window to her soul; even if she was angry or worried or focused, she was still so kind and loving behind her eyes. Like her purest intentions were always visible, no matter what she was feeling in the moment. "Are you ready to talk about it?" she asked me in a gentle voice.

I shook my head. "No thank you."

She understood. She always understood. "Well, I'm proud of you for getting out of bed today," she told me. Then she bit her lip as she tempered herself, "But ummm…might I suggest a shower before you leave? Maybe?"

I gasped before lifting my arm to sniff under there. "Is it that bad?"

"It's not the freshest," she chuckled. "Maybe scrub twice."

Melody plugged her nose and shook her head, "Stink!" she exclaimed.

"Alright, alright, I'm going!" I said, getting up from the table.

After a long, hot shower, I found myself in the back of Uncle Embry's Jeep Cherokee with Cameron on our way to Forks Hospital. The usually short drive was taking longer because of the heavy rain. I knew my uncle pretty well. He would normally be ripping through the streets without a care in the world. But he always took the careful route when his wife and kids were in the car. He became more serious than how my parents remember him growing up. He's a family man, for sure. Mom and Dad say no one was expecting that out of him. I think Bianca really brought that out of him.

I just really needed this. I needed for Cassie to come home and for things to settle down. Everything has been off, not at all in the norm. Being a bystander in our whole life being thrown out of whack was hard. I was starting to feel like I was trying too hard at keeping everything exactly the way it's always been.

Uncle Em pulled into the hospital driveway under the portico. My heart was pounding in my chest and I couldn't figure out why. Right as everyone was getting out of the car, I saw a quick flash of light from the far side of the parking lot. Uncle Em and Cam didn't miss a beat as they walked through the sliding doors inside.

I thought it was just a fluke at first but then I saw it a second, third, and fourth time in a 15 second span. I looked over to see a disheveled Reese leaning against a utility pole across the way. We made eye contact and I could tell from here, she hadn't slept in days. Her face was pale and her normally carefully messy hair was in an unruly bun on her head. Her sweatpants were two sizes too big, only being held up by a bunch of the waistline tied with a ponytail holder. She didn't even mind that she was standing in the pouring rain. She waved me over almost casually.

Now was not the time. Bebe came up next to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "What's wrong, Hadley bug?" she asked. She looked out where I was staring and I felt her tense up. "No," she shook her head, "she can't be here."

"I just want to talk really quick," Reese said, only for my ears.

"She's been a terrible influence on Cassie. I can't believe she'd actually show up here."

"I'm not here to cause trouble, I promise," Reese pleaded.

"What's she saying?" Bebe asked.

I bit my lip, anxiously, as I stared at Reese. We did need to talk, but this wasn't the place to do it. Not with all of these ears around. And not with Cass finally coming home. I turned to my aunt and shook my head, "Nothing important. Let's go."

I heard Reese sigh. "Hadley, come on. This isn't a joke."

Letting Bianca walk into the hospital first, I lagged a little behind. She was mumbling to herself about Cassie never wanting to break the rules until 'that girl' came around. Reese was still standing there, a look of disbelief on her face. I don't know…I didn't know what to think. "Meet me in the clearing near the cliffs at 8 sharp. Don't be late."

The doctor was giving Bianca and Embry instructions on how to take care of Cassie once she's at home. They both looked gravely serious when I walked in, I almost thought something wrong. But then I heard the sweet sound of Cassie laughing at some dumb joke her twin told her. I peeked my head through the door and saw Cam helping Cass get her rain jacket on over her shoulder. I knocked a couple times on the door. "Hey, am I clear to come in?" I asked.

Cassie gasped, excitedly when she spotted me. "I was hoping you'd be coming too! Come hug me!" Cass held out her one good arm and reached for me. Her right arm was in a cast, resting at her side. She couldn't speak very loud and you could tell she was working a little harder to seem normal, but I didn't let that stop me from giving her the biggest hug I could manage. Cass patted and rubbed my back as we sat quietly. All of the frustration, all of the weird tension, and silent treatment just went out the window. "You saved my life, Hadley," she whispered in my ear.

"I can't stand that you got hurt at all, Cass. I was scared half to death," I told her.

She giggled. "Yeah, me too," she joked. I held her at arm's length and glared at her. She shrugged, "What? I can laugh about it now."

"Too soon," I said, feeling tickled that she was finding the light in the situation.

Bebe walked in with a bright smile and a wheelchair. "Alright my little flower, you ready to go home?"

Cassie groaned a little, "Do we have to do the whole wheelchair thing? I feel fine."

Bianca rolled her eyes at her daughter. "Humor me, please, Cass."

We got Cass into the car no problem. She was fidgety the whole way home, eyes glued to the window. You could tell how happy Uncle Embry was; he didn't shut up the entire car ride. "We got all your favorite snacks and your favorite books. You won't have to get up for anything! You can just rest and let us take care of you."

Cass peeled her eyes away from the window and met her father's eye in the rear view. "Thank you, Daddy, but you all don't have to go to so much trouble," she said softly. I put my hand over her unbroken hand and squeezed it affectionately. She looked at me and behind her eyes, the glint of sadness peaked through. But she smiled anyway before resting her head on my shoulder.

It was easy to dote on her like this; it wasn't like taking care of other wolves. We heal fast. We can shake it off. She can't do that. She'll have to rest and grow and heal as her body tries to fix itself. It's not like that time I broke my ankle and by the time we got back home, I was completely fine and we could keep playing.

I asked her how she was really feeling when we got back to the reservation. She replied that she was just fine while pointing to her ears. I nodded, knowing she was talking about the listening ears out in the hallway. The pack was coming in and out of the Call house to welcome Cassie home. Before we were actually left alone, Bianca came in, fluffing pillows and making sure Cass was properly tucked in. "Just so you know—no pressure at all, flower—Billy and the rest of the Council do want to talk to you. They're trying to get all accounts of that night—you're not in trouble," Bebe said when Cass opened her mouth to interrupt.

"I just don't understand why the Council wants to talk to me," she said. "I barely remember anything from that night. Why can't they talk to Cam?"

"They already talked to Cam," I answered. "And Nate and Wyatt too."

"Did you have to go to the Council?" she asked me with wide eyes.

"Not yet," I shook my head. I couldn't help but notice her face brighten a little bit.

"Both of you will have to eventually. You can't avoid them forever," Bebe said.

"Sure can try though," I half joked.

Bianca smirked before shaking her head. "This is part of growing up, girls. It sucks, but it's necessary," she said. "Ok, I'll give you guys some time to talk, but Cass needs to rest."

"Totally agree," I said. "I have to take care of some stuff soon anyway. I won't keep her long."

Bebe nodded before closing the door behind her. Cass pointed at the closed school notebook on her desk as she turned the tv up. "I need to ask you something," she said in an even tone. I handed her the notebook and a pen. There were listening ears everywhere. "Will you go to the Council with me?"

She wrote, 'Please just say yes.' "Of course, Cass," I told her.

"I just need someone to fill in the blanks," she said out loud as she wrote, 'Don't tell them R was the one who pushed me.'

I blinked in surprise, rendered speechless.

She continued, "It's all just really fuzzy, you know?" as she kept writing, 'If you say it was you, she won't get in trouble.'

I was stunned silent. I just kept staring at her words and I couldn't even believe they were real.

"You know what I mean, Lee?" she asked a little more sternly. 'I don't want them kicked off the rez. Cam says they might,' she underlined twice. "Please?" Cass begged out loud.

I was pulled out of my shock. I swallowed the lump in my throat and slowly nodded my head, "Um…yeah…I'll go to the Council with you," was all I said without acknowledging her actual request. "I gotta go."

Trying probably too hard to appear normal, I slipped out of the Calls' house quickly and quietly. I fumbled in my phone in my pocket, immediately calling Wyatt. My hands were shaky a little bit. Lie? She wanted me to lie to the Council. I can't say I hadn't thought of it at least once in the past couple of days, but I didn't think my best friend would ever ask me that. It felt bad…almost wrong, in a way. I know you can talk yourself out of anything…wasn't that what Wyatt said the other night? He's right, I can. But I hardly ever lie. Not to my family. And not about something serious like this. "Hey, it's Wyatt. Leave a message or whatever." Voicemail. Of course. I hung up.

XXXXXXXXX

Travis was waiting in the clearing when I got there; I was completely soaked from the never ending rain, but it was just cool enough to calm me down. The clearing was covered by the large trees, sheltering us from the rain. He looked bigger somehow. He waved at me and gave me a friendly smile. "I wasn't expecting you," I said as I approached.

He tried to hug me and I shied away when I felt that buzzy feeling of his skin touching mine. The lightning cracked hard in the distance. "Reese asked me to mediate," he told me, scratching the back of his neck.

"Mediate?" I repeated.

"So you don't kill me," Reese called from a few yards away. She came out from behind the trees with her hands raised in surrender. I glared at her from afar, feeling my jaw clench. Reese sighed as her shoulders sagged. "I know, ok? I know this got so fucked up—,"

"Fucked up doesn't even being to cover it," I crossed my arms over my chest. "Where the hell have you been for the past week? Is this what you do? You run when things go wrong?"

"Don't speak on something you don't know nothin about, princess," Reese shot back.

I stepped until I was right in front of her. "All I know is that it's real rich for you to tell me to be real when, as soon as Cassidy's head cracked on that boulder, you were no where to be found."

Travis pulled me away by my waist away from his sister. "Guys, hold up. It doesn't need to be this heated. Y'all keep butting heads, but you're not listening to each other."

I pushed him away from me. "All I've done since you guys showed up is listen. I've listened to her try to find holes in my home, my friendships, my relationship. I've listened to her insult me while I was trying so hard to make both of you comfortable. And then when someone gets hurt, it's all of a sudden radio silent? The message seems pretty damn loud to me."

"I just need to know if she's ok," Reese said, ignoring my words. "Is Cassie alright?"

"She's fine," I spat. "Is that all you have to say?"

Her face was hard and unmoving. "I didn't mean for it to happen, you know that, Hadley."

"If it's any consolation," Travis chimed in, "my sister is a lot of things, but she would never intentionally hurt anyone."

"That's not what I'm concerned about. It's the before and after that has me pissed off. What were you thinking sneaking Cass out to a party right that?"

Reese threw her arms up in frustration. "Oh, good lord, Hadley, get a grip. It was a party. Parties are fun. Cassie wanted to have fun. Do you know what fun means, Hadley, or do you just know how to ruin it when other people are having it?"

"I know what it means," I smirked. "But see the difference between us is that I know how to take accountability for my actions."

She rolled her eyes before looking up at Travis. "I don't need this. I'm leaving."

As she turned her back, I called, "You know, our Council is taking statements from everyone who saw what happened." She froze. "I'm not the type to punish people, but one of our Council members is on a bit of a power trip. So you need to watch your back."

She whirled around, "Is that a threat?"

"It's a warning," I said, coolheaded. "I've already talked to Cass; she won't tell them it was you."

"And you?" Travis asked. My eyes trailed until they met his and I instantly was riddled with guilt. He didn't deserve any of this. I think I was figuring out why I was developing such a soft spot for Travis. He was just like me…he wanted the best for his family, no matter how much of a toll it took on him. He looked tired, almost defeated. As if he'd been here before, mediating for his sister and silently pleading that she be given another chance.

He looked the way I felt. I was at a loss; I didn't know what was actually the right thing to do. Wyatt would know what to do. He'd know what was right. "I'm going with her to talk to the Council," was what I decided to say. I turned back to Reese. "I can't keep going like this. I thought we were getting on the right track. You were really honest with me and I was ready to do the same. But if I keep giving you my word that I'll keep you guys safe and you continue to shit on me, my home, and my boundaries, we're going to have a bigger problem."

For the first time, I watched Reese struggle between her fight or flight. Does she keep picking a fight with me or does she walk away? Would she tear me a new one or would she deem the whole thing not worth it and leave? Then she fixed her gaze on Travis…her third response. The fix. Her fists clenched beside her before she gritted out, "You're right. I wasn't thinking clearly. I just…I don't even know what to say. I was wrong."

I shook my head, "Don't just tell me what you think I want to hear so you can cover your ass. That doesn't work with me."

"So what do you need then?" she asked. "Do you want to fight me? Punch me in the face? Confess to my sins? What? Whatever it is, I'm sure I deserve it."

I paused as I thought about it. Itching the palm of my hand, I delighted the idea of hitting her for just a second. She'd recover quickly; it wouldn't even be a big deal. But I needed more. "Tell me how you really feel about Cassie," I said.

"Sorry?"

"You heard me."

She scoffed, "Why is that your business?"

"It's my business because she's falling for you and it would crush her if you left. She's afraid that if the Council knows the truth, they'll kick all of you off the reservation. Tell me how you feel about Cass so that I know that this is all worth something."

Reese blew out a breath as she started to pace. I could hear her heart start to beat faster. She was nervous. Whoa.

"Just tell her the truth, Reesie," Travis said.

I waited. The rain was tapping on the leaves of the tree and the wind was sweeping through us. Reese pulled a cigarette out of her pocket and lit up. Her shoulders visibly relaxed as she blew out. Then she met my eye. "Cass is the only reason I haven't bailed yet. I actually get excited to see her face and spend time with her. She makes me forget all of Matthew's bullshit, all of my own bullshit." Reese took a deep breath. "Cassie might be the sweetest person I've ever met and I can't imagine not being around her. In fact, I've been a fucking wreck the past week because I was so worried that she wouldn't make it out of this. Is that what you want to hear?"

She looked like she was about to cry. I softened at her words. Because I felt the same way. I was a wreck worrying about Cassidy. And I felt better knowing I wasn't the only one. There was always this tiny voice in the back of my head that was afraid Reese was using Cass as a distraction, something to pass the time. "Yes," I said. "Yes, it is. Thank you."

"You're so welcome, princess," she said sarcastically.

I turned to Travis. "I'll do what I can with the Council. You guys need to lay low for a couple of days while I get this sorted out. Maybe I can stop by after, if that's cool?"

"No!" they both exclaimed. I jumped at the boom of their voices. I asked what the problem was. "Why don't we just meet back here in a couple of days? That sounds better." Travis suggested.

"Why?" I asked.

They exchanged a look before Travis cleared his throat, "It's just a safety thing." I furrowed my eyebrows at him. He shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry, it's just the way it is."

"Can I at least know why?"

"Matthew don't like company," Reese said, quickly. "Just keep away from him in general. You'll thank us later."

I tried to wrap my mind around that for a second before shaking my head, "Alright, fine, whatever. We'll meet here the day after tomorrow. Same time."

I walked home only feeling a little clearer in the head. At least knowing that Reese wasn't just blowing this off made me feel a little at ease. The amount of concern in her voice when she talked about Cass was something I wasn't expecting.

But that didn't help me to know what I was going to say to the Council. I don't lie. It's just not something that sits well with me when I do it. When Wyatt said I know how to talk myself out of anything, he meant I was good with my words. A little too good, if I'm being honest. I used to think it was a good thing that I could spin myself out of trouble. But now I worried that that behavior would make the people I love trust me less. Like Wyatt. I needed to make it right with him as soon as possible.

I tried to call Wyatt again, only to get his voicemail. Again. I groaned as I walked through the front door to a quiet Black household. I took a second to dry myself off before going to my parents' room and knocking lightly on the door. "Come on in, sweetie," my mom said casually. When I swung the door open, she smiled. "Hey, you. I was wondering when you were going to get back."

"I stayed with Cass for a while and then had to take care of some stuff. Where's Daddy?" I asked.

"He took over one of Paul's patrol shifts tonight," she said as she sat her book down on the nightstand. "You doing alright?"

I rubbed my palms together nervously, feeling a small scar in the middle of my palm that never healed as I leaned in the doorframe. "I need to ask you something," I told her.

Mama scooched over a little before patting the spot next to her. "Come on."

I climbed in next to her and sighed. She waited patiently for me to speak. "I'm in a bad spot, Mama," I started. "Hypothetically…would you ever lie to help another person?"

She hummed. "Help how?"

I stumbled over my words a bit, "Well—it's kind of—no, it's…it would, theoretically, shift blame away from…a certain person onto…a different person."

Mom thought about it for a second. "Would this 'theoretical'situation makes things difficult for either person?" she played along.

I nodded, "If one person told a lie to help the other person, then the first person would get in trouble. But if…the first person told the truth about the other person, then the other person might get kicked off of the…island…hypothetically."

"Ah, ok, I'm tracking now," she said, shifting herself until she was facing me. "Baby girl, you've always had a good sense of right and wrong. But, as you can see, when you get older, there are some grey areas. Some things are just morally ambiguous."

"That's dumb."

She chuckled, "Yes it is. However, the way you navigate those grey spaces is by doing two things. Trusting your instinct and looking at each outcome at a grander level. What does the bigger picture look like for your hypothetical people? That's when you'll know what to do. But always remember who you are in the process. You don't want to lose yourself trying to make everyone else happy. It's hard to come back from that. "

The bigger picture. My words could set off a chain reaction for someone's future; I shivered at the thought. But she was right. She's always right.

XXXXXXXXX

Since Mama and Dad were back, Sam formally requested that they come to the Council meeting where they would take my statement and Cassie's. What he failed to mention was that Nate, Wyatt, and Cameron would also be there.

So, when my parents and I showed up at the Council hall and ran into my question mark boyfriend and my cousin as they were showing up too. Wyatt made eye contact with me for exactly half a second before ducking into the building. Nate greeted all three of us before allowing us to walk in before him.

Cassie waved me over to sit next to her. She looked a little stressed, but revved up. As soon as I sat down, she started chattering nonstop. "I literally couldn't sleep last night; I just have all of these nerves. I feel like I could throw up."

"Same," I mumbled, rubbing my eyes. I hadn't slept at all the night before, just going back and forth in my head about what to do. I tried to make eye contact with Wyatt who was dead set on looking everywhere else but me as he took a seat clear across the room. "Seriously?" I accidentally whispered out loud.

The eyes in the room trailed to me curiously before going back to what they were doing before. Cassie nudged me before whispering, "What's wrong with Wyatt?"

"Shh…" I told her. I tapped my finger to my ear to remind her that we couldn't just gossip about the boys in plain sight anymore. "It's nothing."

Those two words were enough for Wyatt to whip his head in my direction. He looked hurt and then really frustrated. I was starting to get to know that face well and I hated it. I never wanted for Wyatt to feel this way, especially toward me. "That's not what I meant," I said quietly.

He just shook his head as Grandpa Billy, Grandma Sue, and Sam walked into the room. "Whatever," he mumbled.

I couldn't bring myself to stop looking at him. Even as he sat straight up in his chair to direct his attention to the Council, my heart squeezed at his cold shoulder. Nate glanced between the two of us before sending over a wave of sympathies in my direction. He just needs some time, Nate projected.

"Alright, let's get this meeting started! I really want to wrap this up today," Billy said. "Little Cassie Call, how are you feeling, sweetie?"

"A little bit better everyday," Cass answered in a meek voice. "Thank you for asking."

"Are you up for telling us what happened?" Grandma asked.

Cass nodded gently before launching into her story. She told the room how she'd wanted to go to the Forks fair and didn't see that it would be a big deal to go with Reese instead of with me and the boys. She said that they only went to the house party for a quick second to grab 'water' when we showed up to take them home. She convinced all of us to go back to the fair to have a good time. And then the vampires attacked. Cass gushed for 5 whole minutes about how we all worked so well as a team and that she wished she could have fought next to us. She even mustered up a little tear as she thanked us for fighting so hard for her safety. She said that's all she remembered before she fell unconscious.

You've got to be kidding me. She just sold the Council a crock of shit. The way Cassie told the story, it was all flowers and sunshine. A misunderstanding. She lied. I rested my elbow on the arm of the chair and planted my forehead in the palm of my hand. People started to question things in their minds because that story was already completely different than what everyone already knew!

But that's kind of the point though, isn't it? If she lied about what happened and I lie about what happened, it's bound to create enough doubt for everyone to just write this off and we can move on. Reese isn't seen as a threat; she'll only be seen as a bad influence. As Cassie relaxed in her chair, I glared at her.

"Huh," Grandma said. She flipped through her pages of notes. "That's a little bit different than what I have in my notes, but thank you, Cassie."

"Hadley bug, can you tell us your side?" Grandpa Billy asked. "We just need to know how Cassie got hurt."

"Sure," I sighed, standing up. I looked at my mom first for strength then at my dad for love. They both gave me encouraging nods as I wrung my hands together. What's it gonna be? "When we got to the house party, all I really wanted to do was to get everyone home safe. I was ready to grab Cass and run back here if I needed to. But…" I paused as my stomach turned. I swallowed and started again. "But I admit that I was more worried about her being mad at me than her safety so we all spent some time at the fair to kind of ease the tension. And then when the vampires attacked, the boys and I were moving pretty quickly. We handled the two that made themselves known and we were about to leave with the crowd when another one came out of nowhere."

Cass reached out to hold my hand. It was the gentlest, sternest reminder that she was asking me to lie to my family. For the sake of someone who never really had a family. Shit… "When I saw that vampire running full speed toward us, my first instinct was to get Cassie out of the way. So I grabbed her by the arm and, I guess, flung her backwards a little too hard," I said. I heard Wyatt curse under his breath as he shook his head. "I'm the reason Cassie fell and hit her head. I guess…I-I guess I don't have as much control over my strength as I thought."

"And where were Travis and Reese during all of this?" Sam asked.

"They had run into the woods to phase back human when the other vampire attacked," I lied. "They didn't know that Cass got hurt."

The three Council members exchanged glances as they took notes. My heart was beating so loud in my ears. We all sat quietly for way too long, listening to the sound of our own breathing and pen scraping on paper. There…it was done. I just took the blame for someone else. But Mom was right; it's the bigger picture. I didn't want to be the reason why Reese and Travis didn't have a place to live. "Can everyone clear out for 5 minutes?" Sam asked.

We all shuffled out into the hallway and I just felt out of it. As much as I hated lying, I was still grappling with the way my words could affect other people. Cass tried to hug me, but I just couldn't bring myself to hug her back. I stepped away from her and made a beeline for my parents. Dad looked concerned. "You alright, bug? You look sick."

"Yeah…I just didn't sleep well," I told him.

"I know that was hard to do," Mom said with soft eyes. "I understand why you did it though."

I could feel him approaching before he made it over to us. Wyatt put a hand on my shoulder that made my body buzz instantly. "Why did you say that?" he asked, eyes wide.

I was so shocked that he was talking to me, I couldn't form words. I looked down at his hand on my shoulder then up at his face and back again. I could see every detail in his face. God, I just miss him so much. "I…what?"

"Why did you tell them you pushed Cass?" he asked again.

Sighing, I dropped my head. "I don't know," I admitted. "Cass asked me to…she was worried about what would happen to Reese and Travis. She didn't want them to get kicked off the reservation."

"Hadley," he huffed. "That wasn't even something they were discussing."

I twisted my face in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"Hadley, they were taking statements to make sure that it wasn't a vampire that hurt Cass. They're not concerned about the Holts at all."

I brushed his hand off of my shoulder, shaking my head fervently. "No, no, no, no, no. Cassidy said Cameron told her they were going to decide if they would kick them out or not."

"That doesn't make any sense," Wyatt said.

"Christ…" I heard my mom mumble. She put it together quicker than I did.

"Uh oh," Dad chimed in.

Wyatt and I turned to the end of the hall where the Call twins were standing. Cassie was already looking at me and once she saw the look on my face, the blood drained from hers. She lied to me. She had me in a tizzy about doing the right thing when it wasn't ever a real concern. "Oh god…what did I just do?" I whispered.

"You should have talked to one of us first," Wyatt commented. "Someone would have filled you in."

"I'm sorry, how many missed calls do you have from me?" I sniped.

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not the only one you could have called, Hadley."

"Stop calling me that."

He shut his mouth quickly and I watched as he slowly closed himself off. Sam popped his head out and asked us all back in. Wyatt didn't move from in front of me. And suddenly, it was just the two of us. "You must have really wanted him to stay if you were willing to screw your credibility with the Council," he said coldly.

"So is it going to be like this forever? You hating me over something I've already told you didn't mean anything?"

"I don't know what to believe anymore."

I grabbed his right hand in mine and let my true intention and affection flow into him. "Wyatt, I'm trying to make this right. For everyone. But I…I don't know how much more I can take of this. Every time I try to go right, everything goes left. I'm losing it. It feels like—,"

The door swung open again. Nate came out, "Guys, come on. The Council's waiting."

"In a minute," Wyatt and I snapped.

Nate closed the door behind him and walked up to us. "Please don't have this fight right now, whatever it is." His voice was just coated in annoyance.

"We're not fighting," I said, letting go of Wyatt's hand. "I honestly don't know what I was thinking. I was just happy that Cass wasn't mad at me anymore and now…" I trailed off.

I was so tired. Like on the inside. I had never experienced this before. It felt like complete mental exhaustion. And all I could do was let it happen until it was over. "You can be mad at me for as long as you want to, that's fine. I'll deal with it," I told Wyatt. "But please, can you just have my back for the next 10 minutes? You can go right back to being mad at me after that. Just 10 minutes, please."

Wyatt nodded before turning away from me to walk back into the Council meeting. My jaw clenched as I tried to compose myself before following him behind Nate.

I opted to sit next to Nate and my mom instead of in the back with Cass. Wyatt was on the other side of Nate and his energy was so loud. He was frustrated and confused and sad. Maybe he missed me as much as I missed him. I couldn't really tell; his head was shut down like Fort Knox. "Alright, now that everyone is present, we can finish this up," Grandma Sue said. She pushed her graying hair out of her face. "Lord knows we're all ready to go home."

The Council decided that the pack would have to expand their patrol route to make sure that the vampire issue wasn't getting out of hand in Forks. That was fair. And since enough of the boys were getting a hold of their wolves, we would now be in charge of patrolling the immediate grounds.

"Leah and Jacob will administer patrol schedules as per usual until they feel the new leadership is ready for that responsibility," Billy announced.

Sue took off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Speaking of new leadership…" she sighed. "This was going to be a separate meeting but after…certain behaviors exhibited today and the past few weeks, we feel a need to address this now."

"Hadley bug, your story doesn't match up with everyone else's and we're a bit confused," Grandpa said. "This is serious business and, if you're not being honest with us now, we're unsure how you'll handle pack business in the future."

My stomach dropped. Please no… Mom put her hand over mine and squeezed. Sam spoke, "Traditionally, the first boy that phases will assume the role of Alpha. Since Nathaniel phased first—,"

"No, I didn't. Stop telling people that," Nate interrupted. "And if you're about to suggest that I assume Alpha, I'm just going to say right now, that's a hard no."

"Impending Alpha is a big role," Billy said. "It's important that we make the right decision."

"Hadley's your right decision, not me," Nate said.

"Hadley has been busting her ass to prove to all of you that she's ready for this responsibility," Dad stood up. "We've already talked about the 'traditional' way; it's trash."

"How is one or two mistakes in a short period of time overshadowing everything else that she's done for every single one of you?" Mom asked evenly.

All I could do was watch it happen in front of me. It didn't even feel like I was in my own body. "If one mistake was enough to be stripped of a title, Leah and I would have been ousted years ago." Dad continued.

"You too, Sam. I can still spot some of your mistakes from when we were young. Don't act all high and mighty just because you're on Council now." Mom sniped.

"I'm not the one on trial here," Sam exclaimed, incredulous.

"Neither is my kid," Dad emphasized.

"Alright, alright, settle down!" Billy boomed. "This is not productive. Hadley's not on trial, we know that. But we are concerned about the fact that she just came into this meeting and lied about a potentially fatal situation and her other insubordinate behavior lately. It's just…disconcerting."

"To some," Grandma shaded. "Just to be clear, it's disconcerting for some of us, not all of us. I don't agree with any of this."

"Then don't let them do this to her, Mama," my mom spoke directly to her mom. "With her capabilities, her connection to spirit, and her drive, she'd be the best thing for these young wolves. Not to mention, she was quite literally made for this."

"No one cares about this pack as much as Hadley does," Nate spoke up. "If she lied, it was for a good reason. An unselfish reason."

I could feel every single energy in the room rise at an alarming rate. The tension in the room was so palpable, it was damn near suffocating. And I just sat there while my entire purpose was being offered around like a piece of gum.

"We just agree that Nate—or Wyatt—should step in until Hadley feels that she is really ready to assume her place. That should sound familiar, Jacob," Sam spoke in a condescending tone. "Then we can open conversation about it,"

"Open conversation about what?!" Dad yelled.

"I'll do it," a low voice spoke. Everyone froze. Every head in the room turned toward Wyatt Cameron as he clasped his hands together. He looked straight past me with empty eyes. He shrugged before repeating, "I'll do it."

I stared at him, shocked, until he finally looked at me. Did he just volunteer to take the pack from me? That's not having my back! "What?"