I returned to school the next day, doing my best to ignore the chorus of questions about my absence from well-meaning but otherwise ignorant friends. What was even harder to ignore were the surprised looks and comments my new car was garnering. Yet another thing I had overlooked in my quest for an eco-friendly vehicle was the likelihood of someone recognizing the make and model.

Luckily most of the students accepted the excuse of it being an inheritance from my late grandmother. Even though I was exaggerating on just how 'late' her departure was. Most of them had no clue about the actual cost, so I thought myself in the clear until I overheard the Cullens during lunch.

"That is a seventy-thousand dollar car, minimum, and it's brand new! No way she just inherited it!"

Of course it would be the blonde bombshell that would know that. I'd overheard more than my fair share about her seemingly limitless knowledge about cars over the several months I'd been practicing my enhancement spells, but the fact that she was calling out my lie was just plain annoying.

Edward was once again sitting at a table alone with Bella while the rest of the Cullens remained at their usual spot. Still, I was sure he could hear them as clear as I could.

"Maybe her family came into some money and decided to get her an early graduation present," suggested Alice, confusion lacing her delicate voice.

"Wait," Rosalie cut in, bitchy voice biting even more than usual. "Don't you know for sure?!"

There was a pause, and when Alice continued the confusion had only deepened. "I don't know. I haven't been looking, but now that I am, I can't see her."

"Edward?" Rosalie questioned, voice sharpening with consideration I had hoped up avoid.

I could practically feel the asshole's eyes burning a hole in the side of my head. "I got so used to tuning everyone out that I never noticed, but I can't hear a thing from her. It's not like Bella, where all I get is static. Angela is a blank space." There was a lull in their conversation before he continued, voice strained as they all no doubt considered the ramifications of my absence of presence in their abilities. "Jasper?"

There was another lull, and I tried my best to calm my thoughts and my racing heart. I knew that even with me being surrounded by humans that they might still be able to pick out my heart rate. I used my meditative practices to keep my breathing slow and steady.

"It is the strangest thing," Jasper eventually commented. "I know she's sitting right there but I can't tell what she's feeling. I can tell she does have emotions, but I can't figure them out."

Thank the Goddess for small favors. The last thing I needed was for them to know how aware I was of their subvocal conversations. I didn't like that he could sense me at all, regardless of how confused he seemed, but I suppose I can't complain since my cover was still intact.

Unfortunately, Edward went on, "We need to talk to Carlisle and see if he's come across anything like this in his studies."

Fuck! I couldn't help but curse my devolving luck. I had done so well to keep off the vampires' collective radar since I realized what they were, but now with a simple glance my way they were beginning to question my existence.

"Someone should watch her," the bitchy Cullen practically hissed. "We already have to deal with Edward's obsession with the human. We can't risk another threat to our secrets."

I was just gearing up to tell them off, secrecy be damned, when Alice's voice cut in. "We will not make any decisions without having a family meeting first."

I could hear a frustrated hiss from who I assumed was Rosalie, but no one seemed willing to debate the subject further. Feeling as though I had narrowly avoided a confrontation I was in no way prepared for, I decided to ditch my lunch and hightail it to my next class before I could get roped into any of the banal discussions of my so-called peers.

I knew I would need to figure out my next move as far as the Vampires went. Maybe I could reach out to Weselton and get his advice after school. I needed to touch base with him about the cabin's restoration anyway.

Deciding to back-burner the whole thing, I took up a seat at the back of my next class and pulled out The Order of Lilitu. I hadn't gotten much time to really go through the book since that first evening after I had uncovered the hidden knowledge. Between being kicked out and handling my new financial situation, I'd simply taken the weekend to relax and meditate. Of course, finals were coming up but I could pass those blindfolded.

I quickly made sure the enchantments that hid the book from prying eyes were charged, then flipped to the next section after the introduction.

Becoming Lilitu

Lilitu, or the Children of Lilith, are born with access to the untapped potential that exists in the core of every Witch. Normally, Witches use their natural abilities to channel the energy of the world around them, limiting their capacities to channel the energy but maintaining a safe output. This, as stated, was not enough to fend off the human advances and so new avenues were needed to bring forth the power to vanquish our enemies.

When Lilith removed the natural limiters that held the Witch's magic in check, she unleashed the infinite potential of their souls. The only drawback, again as stated, was that if left unchecked, the energy that had been unleashed would continue to grow until it became a raging inferno, destroying the Witch's body in the process.

In order to institute a new form of checks and balances for the unwieldy energy, Lilith gave to the Lilitu her own dark children to take on as familiars. For ages, Witches have used animals as familiars, through which their magics could be channeled without fear of overwhelming one's self. Unfortunately, the power generated by the Lilitu Witches was far too powerful to be contained within any lesser creatures, and Lilith knew this.

Bringing her children into the mortal realm was no easy task, but Lilith strove to provide for her earthly children despite the difficulty. When the humans turned on the Demons in their midst, Lilith gave to her children her final boon, the gift of the Contract.

The Contract is the culmination of every Lilitu Witch's training. From the moment their core begins to unlock, the Witch has one year to prepare to summon the Great Mother to them so that she may bestow upon them their familiar. Each demon soul is tuned to each Witch in their line by the Goddess herself. During the ritual, Lilith will free the intended soul so that it may find and inhabit a suitable body. During this process, a transformation of sorts will begin within the human, changing their bodies to better accept the power of their demon counterpart so that they may be prepared for their Witch.

The Witch then has until the following full moon in order to find their mate and finish the bonding ritual before Lilith will pull the soul back into her realm, destroying the host, eventually leading to the Witch falling to the energy of her own core.

How, you may ask, does this familiar relationship mitigate the Lilitu's oppressive core? Well, the Dark Children of Lilith possess a voracious hunger for energy. Maintaining an existence in the mortal realm requires a large amount of energy, more than their own souls produce. By tethering the Witch's core to the soul of the familiar, a symbiotic relationship is formed. The Witch will be able to better maintain her own energies while retaining all of the power granted to her by the nature of her untapped core, and the demon will subsist off of the excess energies that are not immediately consumed for magic work.

"Ms. Weber!" came a shout from the teacher, drawing my attention from the book as I gave the woman a bland look. "Since you seem so engrossed in your reading, perhaps you can recite the next page for the class?"

I looked around at the waiting faces of the students who were chomping at the bit to see me shown out by the teacher. "What page was that?" I asked, voice still calm despite the teacher's ire.

"184!" she ground out. "It's obvious you haven't been paying-"

I began reciting the page in question, word for word, talking over the woman's rambling bullshit as I met her gaze with an unblinking stare of my own. I watched out of the corners of my vision as the other students began glancing back and forth between their books and the teacher, then back to me with slack-jawed consideration.

I was halfway through the page when the teacher interrupted me. "That's enough of that! If I see you not paying attention again in my class, you'll be returning to that seat for detention, am I understood?"

I had to fight to suppress a sneer, raising a brow at the woman while maintaining eye-contact still. She blinked first, turning back to the board as she continued going over the coursework I'd just been reciting. I rolled my eyes as I nonetheless closed my tome, sealing it with a wave of my hand before returning it to my bag.

My tolerance for humanity was growing thin the more time went on. I felt like they were holding me back. Their pointless teachings had nothing on my magical studies, and every day I had to sit in those classrooms was more time taken away from increasing my arcane knowledge.

Fortunately, I made it through the rest of the school day without issue from the humans. Unfortunately, I had apparently garnered more attention from the damn Vampires. They had both overheard my confrontation with the teacher and gotten wind of the rumors of my display in class from the other students.

"Something isn't right about her," came a subsonic whisper from Rosalie. "She never showed that kind of aptitude in class before. Humans don't just sprout an eidetic memory out of the blue."

I was almost to the front door of the school, knowing the Cullens were gathering around their vehicles as they gossiped about me. They could at least wait until I left the bloody school! But then I wouldn't be able to overhear them and decide how much they knew. Ugh, nosey immortals.

"I still say we should wait to cast suspicion on her until we have a family meeting." Thank you, tiny Cullen! At least one of them has a sense of decency. If push came to spell, I would make sure her end was painless.

I blinked at my vicious thoughts, stopping at the front door to the school. That wasn't normal. That couldn't be normal, right? While my growing abilities had given me a bit of an ego, I still considered myself a gentle person at heart. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I meant it. I would destroy them if I had to and I doubt I'd bat an eye.

Part of me wanted to attribute it to the feud between our kinds, but with a sharp dropping sensation in my stomach, I realized I felt the same towards the humans. The world would eventually come to know my power and I pity anyone who got in my way.

I felt my resolve strengthen. I had to abandon my human mindset. There was no sanctity of life, save for the innocent young. Oh I would still follow the humans' laws in the meantime, but with Weselton's help I knew I would eventually come to be a major player in the supernatural world. Now if only I can survive high school without killing anyone.

I didn't expect my resolve to be tested so quickly, but the moment I exited the school I found my parents standing beside my new car. How they knew it was mine was beyond me, but I would figure that out another time. Feeling my anger rising, I fought to keep my magick safely within my own body lest I give myself away by setting the entire parking lot aflame. It wouldn't do to start a body count this early in my life.

My parents finally took notice of me as I drew closer to my car. "Young lady-" Diane began, already gearing up for what I was sure was going to be one of her epic tirades.

I wasn't having any of it. "Fuck off, Diane. You don't get to talk to me like that ever again. If you'll remember, you kicked me out."

Both of my parents gasped as they looked around fearfully to see if anyone overheard. Unfortunately, the Cullen family hadn't left yet so even though they were across the parking lot they would be getting a front row seat to my drama. Fortunately for my parents, no one else was close enough to overhear us.

"We wouldn't have to take such drastic measures," my father said, voice low with derision, "if you would give up your devilish ways!"

I outright laughed, throwing my head back as the hilarity of the situation hit me. They weren't even sorry! What, did they think putting their daughter in the streets was 'tough love'? Goddess help me, they were so truly deluded.

"Now you listen here-" my laughter cut off just as father moved to grab my arm.

Just as I had with my mother, I intercepted his reach, grasping ahold of his wrist and twisting it until it threatened to break. "No, you listen," I growled out, "You two made it clear that you would rather send your daughter into the streets than accept me for who I am. You don't get to come back into my life and expect me to just roll over."

I could tell I was hurting him, though unlike my mother he refused to cry out. Silly little man-pride. Feeling disgust welling up, I threw his arm back at him. I could see the bruises already beginning to form and it seemed to soothe something dark inside me.

"We're only here because we received a call that you missed school," my mother scolded, her voice hushed as she clung closer to my father. Apparently she remembered all too clearly my newfound strength. "We came here to bring you back home. You obviously aren't going to get over your evil proclivities on your own."

I just stared at the woman I once considered my mother. Was she being serious?! She couldn't be this stupid.

"You're not this stupid," I eventually said aloud. I looked back and forth between their equally offended looks before laughing outright. "You're actually serious! Oh my Goddess, this is rich!"

The reddening of my father's face was the only warning I had of his impending outburst. "How dare you blaspheme right in front of us! Your godless ways have brought nothing but pain to this family and I will not stand it any further!"

Luckily, most of the students who were still there weren't quite close enough to make out the man's words, but that didn't mean they couldn't hear the anger in his tone. By this time tomorrow, rumors would be flying about what could have sent my pastor of a father into such a rage. I looked forward to finding out just what my friends thought of me.

But for now, I needed to get rid of these humans and I knew just how to shut them up. I clicked the release on my keychain as I moved to the trunk of my car. I quickly removed the small case my grandma had left for me full of money and closed the trunk.

Returning to my waiting parents, I opened the case facing their directions while facing away from the Cullens' prying eyes. "Here's what's going to happen. Until I'm legally an adult, you two are going to excuse any and all absences I might have. I don't care what you tell them. But from this moment on, I don't want to hear a thing from either of you. You do that, and this case will find its way into your church coffers." I waited, watching the greed light up their eyes with a knowing look. Humans were so easy.

"How did you-"

I slammed the case closed, cutting off my mother's fervent whispers. "No questions. Either nod and walk away, or the fact that you kicked your daughter out into the streets for being a homosexual reaches Social Services."

Several gasps could be heard at once, and I wanted to smack myself because I had just unintentionally outed myself to the Cullens. Not that I cared, but I was already suspicious enough for them to consider tailing me, I didn't need to give them more reason to focus on me. What's done is done, I sighed to myself, realizing my parents were looking fit to vomit. But as I expected, their greed and need to protect their image won out over their supposedly strictly held beliefs.

With a nod from my father, they turned on their heels and walked away. Letting out a loud breath, my body collapsed in on itself. Their betrayals still stung something fierce, but I would get over it. Hopefully they would hold up their end of the bargain, because I had no intention of involving Social Services if I could help it. And I would gladly toss an infinitesimal amount of my new wealth at them if it meant keeping them from causing problems.

"Can you believe that?" The pixie was speaking softly to her family and it was only then that I realized they were still gathered around their cars, looking for all the world to be focused only in themselves. "Did they really kick her out just because she likes girls?"

The unintentional support for my preferences nearly brought me to tears, but I'd be damned if those undead shits caught me in my emotions.

"It is a terrible sin," came Edward's condescending tone, though he continued quickly before anyone could contradict him. "But it's strange. I couldn't get a read on her mother. She has that came bubble of emptiness around her that Angela does."

Huh, I forgot that my mother was no more human than I was, despite having her magical core taken away. It would seem that whatever protected my mind from Edward's gift also affected my mother. At least she couldn't unintentionally give away my being a Witch.

"Her father, on the other hand, seems to think she's practicing some kind of devil worshipping."

Fuck! I can't catch a fucking break, can I?

"Did you see how fast she moved?" Rosalie continued. I swear, if it came down to war, she was the first one I was incinerating. "She damn near broke her dad's arm."

"I mean," Alice once again played devil's advocate, "do you see those muscles? It wasn't even that fast by human standards."

"Why do you keep defending her?" Rosalie demanded, sounding just this side of petulant.

I could almost hear the shrug in her voice when Alice responded. "She's one of the sweetest people I've ever seen. Plus, after what we just leaned about her parents kicking her out, I think she could use someone in her corner."

Well shit, now I can't hurt the little pixie. Damn her for being too sweet for her own good. Rosalie continued to grumble but it was so quiet even I couldn't hear. A ding from my phone distracted me from whatever else they might have said.

Weselton: Need you to meet me at the Braxis house so you can lower the wards. It won't take more than an hour to get the utilities inspected and connected, barring any surprises, but we've gotten the main drive and surrounding property landscaped and up to date. Follow these GPS coordinates to find the driveway that leads to the house.

Thank the Goddess! His safehouse had all the convenience of a storm cellar with modern amenities, but it was built for safety, not comfort.

I quickly shot him a reply, 'omw. Need to talk anyway. I'm on the mosquitoes' radar.'

I put my phone away before returning the case to my trunk. I'd give it a few days before I sent the money to the church, just to be sure they were going to hold up their end of things.

As I finally entered my car, I noticed the Cullens doing the same. I had to resist glaring at the cars as they drove past, though I almost flipped Edward off as he glared from behind his heavily tinted windows. It wouldn't do to give them any more reason to suspect me, since a human wouldn't be able to see him.

Sighing, I plugged in the coordinates into the onboard navigation. The drive ironically took me along the same roads as the Cullens, though they were quick to speed out of sight. I thought them irresponsible until I realized one of them was a psychic who could predict where every traffic cop was located along their route. Unfortunately, I had to drive the speed limit. The last thing I needed was a ticket, though I could easily afford one now.

I found the driveway rather easily. The large archway made out of interlacing vines was hardly subtle of the Dryad, but the name Lockwell twisted in elegantly scrawled letters at the top was a dead giveaway. Rolling my eyes, I sent a pulse of Magick through the structure to ping Weselton that I was on my way in. I was secretly pleased at the magnificent display but I wasn't going to give the Dryad the satisfaction of letting him know just yet.

The drive was a lot smoother than I expected, the dirt path was more than wide enough for my car to drive down. I passed a few utility trucks along the way, the occupants remaining behind as they no doubt waited for Weselton's directions. The winding road was surprisingly long but somehow Weselton had managed to clear it perfectly, with a border of thick wood vines lining either side. They looked almost carved from wood but I knew better; I could feel the life thrumming even from a distance. I'd have to take time later to walk the path and give my proper respects to their beauty.

Soon enough I was pulling up to the front of my cabin, smiling at the new addition Weselton had managed to add just outside the perimeter of my wards. The driveway widened considerably just inside the ring of trees surrounding the cabin, and directly to the left was another intricately woven structure made of vines and leaves, taking on the form of a large parking garage. To an outsider, it looked completely man-made even down to the thick canopy of leaves that gave it an arched roof, but much like the entryway and the path, I could feel the life thrumming away.

I was quick to jump out of my car, rushing to Weselton as he stepped from his car and throwing my arms around him in a grateful hug, my earlier reticence gone in an instance. "Thank you!" I practically cried into his shoulder, noticing for the first time his earthen smell. "You have no idea how much all of this means to me!"

He chuckled awkwardly, patting my back just as awkwardly until I realized what I was doing and jumped back a step. "I'm so sorry! It's just, you've given me more in these simple gestures than I think you realize. You've made my sanctuary part of the world, you've given me a glimpse into what my world can look like someday."

His hesitant smile softened into one of true happiness. "I am so very pleased you enjoyed my work! It has been quite some time since I've had a chance to truly interact with nature. Too much number crunching can be a very dull existence for a supernatural being."

I nodded, smiling as I turned to glance at the white wooden fence that encircled the inside of my grandmother's wards. "I can imagine," I responded softly. "I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have this haven to retreat to after everything that's happened."

Weselton stepped up next to me and I smiled at the sudden appearance of his youthful human face as he once again removed his right cufflink illusion. "Welp, what do you say we get these wards down so my guys can get to work. If we're lucky, you'll have this place ready for you to live in with all the modern luxuries by the day's end. And for the low, low price of free, I'll get my boys to build you a hot tub!"

I couldn't help but laugh at his gameshow host voice, waving away the offer. "I'll take the deluxe package some other time. For now, running water and electricity will do."

He cursed and snapped his fingers, "Damn, and there goes my excuse to get you in a bikini!"

My eyes widened as I burst out laughing, doubling over at the saucy grin and exaggerated eyebrow wiggle he sent my way. It took me at least a full minute to get my laughter under control, my hands resting on my knees as I fought to catch my breath. "Boy are you barking up the wrong tree!" I eventually teased back, "You're not even in the same forest, buddy! I'm a raging homosexual!"

His grin didn't even falter as he shot me a wink. "Never stopped me from hitting on your grandmother! You should have seen her back in the day! She was a beauty that could make Apollo blush!"

I sent a jolt of energy that tagged him in his thigh, yelping as he danced away with a boyish cackle. "Alright, alright, I get it! No teasing the lesbians!"

Glaring, I considered hitting him with something more potent, but his face quickly sobered as he began looking around. My senses were immediately on alert as I tapped into the area surrounding my property but I couldn't sense any disturbances beyond the natural animals that inhabited the area.

"Reveal the cabin, now," Weselton whispered fervently. Not one to hesitate, I reached out for the wards and began the arduous task of untwisting the massive interwoven bands of Magick. It took only a few seconds but felt like an eternity as I lost myself in my power.

No sooner was the cabin fully revealed did a pair of beautiful Native American women burst through the trees surrounding my home. They were dressed only in cut-off jean shorts and sports bras, both sharing shoulder-length dark hair and flawless copper skin that was a few shades darker than my own olive complexion. There was a clear distinction between the two women, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was when the more muscular of the two stepped forward and all of my hormones turned red hot in an instant.

"I would like to apologize for intruding." Her voice was like honey and dark chocolate all rolled into one, though there was an air of power behind it that spoke of dominance and control. "I am Samantha Uley, but you may call me Sam." She gestured to the woman behind her, and I blinked as I was met with fury and rage in dark, soulful eyes that never quite met mine. "This is Leah Clearwater, and we were out exploring the old territory trails when we came across your sce-voices and we thought we would come see who the new neighbors were."

"This is bullshit," Leah, honest to Lilith, growled. "Neither of them are human, why are we keeping up pretenses?"

Sam turned on the other woman with a deep, rumbling growl that sent fear deep into my soul. My Magick was at my fingertips in an instant, taking stock of the spells in my arsenal while the two inhuman women snarled at each other like wild animals.

"You know the laws!" Sam yelled, voice lowering into a deeper register that seems to shake the angry woman to her core as her head fell in submission. "We do not reveal ourselves to outsiders! What could you be thinking?!"

Leah's teeth flashed as she sneered down at the ground. "I've seen this girl before, down at First Beach with the humans. She stayed close to the leech lover, Swan."

Energy crackled across my skin as I took an aggressive step forward. "Watch your fucking tongue," I hissed between clenched teeth. No one got to talk bad about Bella, even though the description wasn't far off base.

Both women were staring at me now. Weselton had backed up several paces, thick roots digging themselves out of the ground to form a barrier between himself and my errant magick. "Madam Lockwell," he began, only to cut off mid-sentence as an arch of electrical energy splintered part of his living barrier.

I felt alive and powerful, infinite and angry. The woman who had said those vile words about my Bella was shaking, though I didn't get the sense that it was in fear. She was reigning herself in but seemed to be losing the battle.

"That's enough!" a deep voice exploded across our eardrums, and it took me several moments before I realized it had come from Weselton. I was so shocked by his appearance that my energy withdrew back into my core. I'd caught a glimpse of his natural form at the car dealership but it was nothing compared to the Dryad fully unleashed.

He stood nearly seven feet tall, antlers and all, his body thin and lean yet radiating an aura of power. It wasn't like my own power which could barely be called controlled chaos, nor was it similar to the power these foreign women radiated of barely leashed animals. It was more like the calm before a storm, only that storm was a Cat-5 hurricane and you could kiss your ass goodbye if you didn't obey the warning signs.

"Much better," his voice rumbled out like the slow fall off stones during a landslide. "I fear reintroductions are in order. I am Armando of the Westgate, last of my family line and currently the only living Dryad in the continental US."

He looked at me and nodded for me to continue. Swallowing back the trepidation I felt, I stood to my full height which still somehow made me the shortest of the four of us. "I am Angela Lockwell, formerly Weber. I am a Witch and only began coming into my powers less than a year ago."

Sam sent one final glare at Leah before turning back to me. "I am Samantha Uley, Alpha of the Quileute wolf Pack. This," she gestured to Leah, "is my beta and second in command."

"Shapeshifters," I blurted out in surprise. I don't know why I didn't recognize them beforehand but then again I had only been around humans and vampires, as well as one very tall Dryad. "I apologize for losing my temper like that. Isabella Swan is...important to me."

"Is she your mate?" Leah asked out of the blue, curiosity lacing her formerly hostile tone.

Before I could consider an answer, Weselton - or was it Armando?- stepped in for me. "Witches such as Madam Lockwell do not have 'mates' in the same sense as other supernatural species."

I thought back on my studies of my final tome. I was to be gifted a familiar to bond with, a demon mate, and while the text had been rather direct in how those relationships turned intimate rather quickly, I just couldn't see myself loving anyone other than Bella in that way. Then I thought back to my studies of shapeshifters and couldn't help but ask: "Are you two imprints?"

Both women tensed, a wall falling between them almost physically palpable. It was Leah who answered, and I almost hated myself for bringing it up. "One of us imprinted..."

Sam let out a heavy sigh, glaring at me as if this topic were my fault when Leah was the one who brought it up. "Leah, head back to the reservation and inform the others of what has transpired."

When Leah didn't immediately obey, the Alpha released a rather threatening growl that had Leah shaking. She turned and before our eyes she ripped her way through her clothes as she shifted into the form of a massive silver-grey wolf before disappearing into the woods. Sam waited several moments before she continued.

"I was the first of our tribe to shift when a certain family returned to live in Forks. Leah and I had been engaged until her cousin Emily came to visit. The moment our eyes met it felt like gravity had shifted, as if I was no longer tethered to earth, but instead to this woman who wasn't my fiancé." She sighed and clenched her fists. "I tried to resist, but there was no use. We were made for each other, and when Leah found out she lost it. She shifted right there on the spot and Emily got caught trying to hold me back. Emily was too close but I couldn't resist the shift and I hurt her pretty badly."

Shaking her head, the woman stretched to her full height, back straight. "80 years ago our ancestors made a pact with a certain family that they could remain in the area so long as they stayed off our lands and brought no harm to humans. I am now extending the same pact to you, young Witch. Until we can learn to trust one another, I ask that you remain on this side of the territory lines."

I frowned, but one look at my Dryad friend had me nodding my agreement. "In the future, your kind will be unable to find this place without my escort, so that shouldn't be a problem for either of us. Oh, and just call them the Cullens, I know they're vampires."

Sam's eyes widened before smoothing out into a gentle smile. "If this girl Isabella does turn out to be yours, perhaps the enemy of my enemy shall surely become a friend. The Cullens have agreed not to feed from humans or hunt on our lands. So far they have not broken that treaty but I fear for your Bella being in their clutches for too long."

My heart broke a little bit as I considered just how deep down that rabbit hole Bella was. "She is dating the mind-reader, Edward. I fear his hold over her is only getting stronger."

Sam hummed in consideration before speaking again in a low tone. "She is getting close with one of the boys on the reservation, Jacob. I don't know how long it will be, but eventually Jacob will begin to shift. I will do what I can to encourage his friendship with this Bella, get her onto our lands where the Cullens can't reach her."

I felt my eyes widen at the freely given offer. "You would do that, for me? A perfect stranger?"

Sam shrugged, an admittedly attractive smirk lighting up her face. "If it pisses the Cullens off and gives Leah something to bitch at other than me imprinting on her cousin, then yeah. Call it a sure deal, Lockwell."

I couldn't help but laugh, though my mirth didn't last long as the reality of the situation hit me. "She's the only girl I've ever loved, but since she met the Cullens she seems to be drifting farther and farther away from me."

"You want some unwarranted advice from a dumbass who hurt both of the only women she's loved?" I blinked, nodding despite only knowing this woman for less than an hour. I felt comfortable around the Alpha now that Leah wasn't around. "Don't let fear stop you from taking a chance on her. I know how hard it can be in a small town, being part of the LGBT spectrum. But if you don't take a little risk then your doubts will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

"Take Leah, for instance..." she paused, then continued in a pleading voice, "Please take Leah, she's driving the Pack insane!"

A laugh bubbled up as I felt heat rise in my cheeks. Leah was gorgeous...

Weselton cleared his throat and I realized the wolf was grinning, which led my to rolling my eyes. "I'm in love with Bella, not blind."

Nodding sagely, Sam continued in a more serious tone. "I don't know if you noticed, but Leah refuses to look anyone in the eyes. She refuses to open her heart to anyone, especially a potential imprint. All I'm saying is, let this Bella girl know she's got options before it's too late."

Without another word, the Alpha turned and began undressing as she walked away into the woods, which had a rather undignified yelp leaving my lips as I quickly turn away from the sight of so much gorgeous bronze skin. By the Great Mother, that woman was sin incarnate!

A loud howl rent the night, and I listened to the beautiful music of the rest of the Pack joining in. And just like with the additions Weselton had made to my property, I felt like I had taken yet another step into the world of the supernatural, to where I truly belonged.

And as I gazed back at my cabin, I had one thought in mind: I'm home.