Author's Note: OMG guys we made it to 20 chapters! I'm so happy! :) Thank you so much for sticking with me, and for all the love and the reviews! I hope y'all will stick around for another 20 chapters! 3 Enjoy!
(Paul)
"Sam, you know this isn't right, she-"
"Look, I'm not any happier about it than you are, but we can't take the risk-!"
"It's her father, Sam! It's not right to keep her from him!"
"It's for everyone's safety, Paul! She's naturally a volatile woman anyway, she literally just phased, Paul, we can't risk it."
"You have no proof that she'd be any more violent than any other pack member! She deserves a chance-!"
"This isn't about sexism, Paul! This is about Leah, who has always been a ticking time bomb anyway!"
"Will you both stop talking about me like I'm not here?!"
"No." Sam and I replied in unison.
Sam and I stood facing each other in his small kitchen, arguing as Leah remained seated in the kitchen chair Sam had alpha ordered her to sit in, still unable to leave it without a new command.
We had finally managed to calm her down enough to explain her new life to her, the secret laws of our tribe that directly impacted our pack, and the nature of the creatures that threaten our people.
The sun was two hours from rising when Sam told Leah the news about her father, Harry Clearwater.
She'd been devastated, guilt ridden, then she became angry. She demanded Sam let her leave so she could go to her father.
He refused.
He believed she was too new to the lifestyle, naturally too much of a hot head, and argued that her phasing at all was far too much of an anomaly to not be dealt with carefully.
I argued that none of that mattered, it's her damn dad.
I understood where Sam was coming from, he may be in love with Emily now, but he would always be protective over Leah, too. It may no longer be romantic, but he still loved her. I'd seen that crystal clear in the hive mind.
Didn't mean he wasn't making a bad call now.
"Sam, I understand where you're coming from-"
"Then you know this is the best decision-!"
"This isn't the way to go about it! She's been through enough, let her see her father!"
"Damn it Paul I can't!"
"You can! I'm not saying to turn her loose, send me and another pack member!"
"And what good will that do if you all wolf out in the fucking hospital?!"
"We won't! The first sign of anything I'll drag her out my damn self!
"I don't need a fucking prison warden!" Leah interjected from her seat. She resumed her vigorous scooting, trying to pull herself out of the chair.
"Goddamn it, settle down Leah! I'm trying to win your case here."
"There is no case, the matter is settled."
"The hell it is!" Leah yelled back.
"Damn it Sam, is this really how you want her to start her life in the pack?! With anger and resentment? You answered the damn call you know the man is dying!"
Sue had been a mess of tears on the phone, with her childhood friends Billy and Charlie by her side. She couldn't understand why her children were being kept from her, and from their father. Harry was fighting to hold on, somehow deep in his unconscious, dying state it seemed that he was determined to wait for them.
"Paul-!"
"The man has the right to see both of his children while he still can!"
Sam turned away from me and stalked over to the counter, bracing both his hands down on it. He took a deep breath.
"You know I don't want this for her." He finally muttered.
"No one does, Sam." I stepped over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't take this from her Sam, let her say 'goodbye'."
Sam and I glanced over our shoulders at Leah, who had remained uncharacteristically silent. She sat still as a statue, with no expression on her face, her head tilted downward. A single tear slid down her cheek.
"You know I won't let anything happen to her."
Sam sighed. Then caved.
"You're not to stray from her a single inch, understood? I mean it, if she takes a piss you're to be right outside the damn door."
"Got it." Relief flooded through me.
"The first sign of trouble you're to drag her ass straight out."
"Understood."
Sam paused and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I'm going to have to keep Em here, can't risk them together yet. It's going to devastate her."
"I know, but she'll understand. She cares for her as much as you do."
He dropped his hand.
"I know Bella had a relationship with him too, through Charlie. She'll want to be there." He glanced over my shoulder towards Leah, then added, "If you feel comfortable taking them both. It's your call, Paul."
I thought for a moment. I really hated the idea of having Bella anywhere near a new wolf, but I couldn't stomach forbidding her like Sam was going to do with Emily. I'll be there, she'll be safe.
"She's safe with me."
"Alright, I had Em take Bella upstairs a while ago," His eyes drifted back to Leah, "I'll go talk with Em and send Bella down." I heard the command he left unsaid, stay with her.
I nodded and Sam took off through the door frame to the living room and I took a seat by Leah, noticing that he hadn't relieved her of his command yet.
She turned her head away from me to hide her tears.
"Leah, I'm sorry." I couldn't help but feel bad for her. It was a shitty hand to be dealt.
"Don't be. I don't need your damn pitty." She sniffed. "Or to be guarded. I'm not dangerous."
"You are Leah, you're a new wolf. We're all dangerous, but not near as much as right after the first phase."
"Why doesn't he trust me? If anyone should be distrustful it's me."
"He's just trying to look out for you, Leah." She raised her head to glare at me, I held my hands up. "I know it may not seem like it right now, but it's true. He's trying to protect you from yourself, because you don't even know how dangerous you are yet."
"I still say bullshit."
"Say it all you want, ' don't change it."
She blew out an aggravated breath. She glared down at the table.
"So… you and that Bella Swan chick?"
She was really desperate for a distraction, so I indulged her.
"Somewhat, it's… complicated."
"How? Either you're with someone or you're not… or you're Sam Uley." She said his name with disgust.
I ignored the jab at Sam.
"It's… part of that whole imprint thing we discussed."
"Oh, that magic wolf bond bullshit? So that wasn't just an elaborate lie?"
"Trust me Leah, we all wish it were."
She puffed out another frustrated breath.
"' Don't care. ' Still don't forgive him." She crossed her arms. "Or her."
I sighed a bit frustrated, myself.
"Maybe you will someday, Leah. Maybe if it happens to you."
"I'll kill myself and him." She grouched.
I couldn't help but laugh.
"Wish it were that simple, Lee. But it's not."
We heard the aged stairs gently creak as Bella made her slow descent, mixed with the cadence of Sam and Emily's voices upstairs. I stood to greet her, but first turned to Leah.
"You can go ahead and stand now, Sam relieved the command."
"How the hell do you know?"
"Because I'm second in command."
I walked through the door frame into the living room to meet Bella at the foot of the stairs. She still wore my white leather jacket, her intoxicating floral scent mixed with mine, stirring a very sudden and unwelcome primal reaction I forcefully ignored.
Her eyes were red and puffy from the hours she'd spent crying. I could feel her grief for Harry through our bond the whole night, it had made dealing with Leah distracting. I hated that I couldn't just take her into my arms, that I couldn't just comfort her, but I knew that would be moving way too damn fast for her.
She stood on the last step staring into my eyes, as if she were actually seeing me for the first time.
I wished I could read the thoughts behind the emotions.
"Sam caught you up to speed?" I asked, mostly as a courtesy, I could hear the entire conversation they'd had, another annoying part of this damn curse.
She nodded. "He said you were taking me and Leah to see him." She wiped a few more fallen tears away.
Sam had filled her in for the most part, both women were devastated with the news Sam had received from Sue, and had cried their hearts out together. He chose not to fill her in on anything else pack related, he firmly believed that was my duty as her mate.
"Yeah, we're borrowing Emily's car." I replied as I took the car keys out of the decorative glass bowl by the front door. "You can go ahead on out if you want, I'll be out in a minute with Leah."
She nodded and stepped down off of the step to make her way out to the porch. I walked back through to the kitchen where Leah still stood then gestured for her to follow me out of the back door. I paused for a moment to hand her a pair of Emily's flats then continued out of the door where Seth and most of the other pack members were.
Everyone hushed and turned to me.
"I'm taking Leah and Bella to the hospital, Jacob you're with me."
Dumbass stood from where he was leaning against the fence.
"You mean 'Jacob will you join me-'"
"No, I mean you're with me. It's not a negotiation."
I really hated the idea of having Dumbass tag along, but he had the least amount of animosity with Leah of the whole pack. Everyone else had formed their opinions about her based off of what we all saw in Sam's head, Dumbass had been the least judgmental. Dumbass had no real opinion of her, and Sam and I had been the only other members who felt any form of affection for her.
I turned my attention back to the rest.
"Seth, you're hitching a ride with Embry and Jared." Jared and Embry nodded, Seth looked around confused.
I continued. "You can take my truck, you know where the keys are." I never bothered locking my house, I didn't see the point.
"Quil, you're staying with Sam to watch over Emily and Kim." Quil nodded his acknowledgement. Kim was already on her way from the hospital, having visited Harry with her family.
I turned around and stalked back through Sam's backdoor with Leah and Dumbass in tow. Leah followed quietly, reflecting on the coming hospital visit and Dumbass stomped angrily, grumbling, still pissed off I had authority over him.
We joined Bella on the porch, who had been absentmindedly admiring the early dawn light as the sun had begun its slow ascent.
We exchanged a few words, then I lead them to Emily's car. I instructed Bella to sit in the passenger side by me and for Leah to sit in the back with Dumbass. Leah didn't have a problem, intending to be on her best behavior to prove she could control herself. Dumbass was aggravated, but mostly worried about Bella after seeing how upset she had been.
The drive was quiet.