"He's decided to put the baby up for adoption."

I had questions but I couldn't breathe enough to say the words. I heard nothing Bella or Charlie said afterward. All I could feel was rage. I ran out of my room, and out of my home.

I phased the second I made it out the door right in my front yard. It was a good thing Paul was my only close neighbor. I heard Jared when I phased but ignored him. I wasn't in the mood for small talk.

Instead, I demanded, "Where the fuck is Sam?" My fury confused Jared, but I didn't care. I didn't have to explain myself.

He hesitated before answering, "I think he's at Billy's."

It didn't take me long to get there. I grabbed a pair of Jake's shorts from the basket on the front porch and accidentally ripped the screen door from the hinges as I yanked it open.

Sam was sitting, his back to me at Billy Black's table when I entered the house. Paul was on the opposite side, next to Jake. The warning from Billy hadn't even left his lips before my fist collided with Sam's jaw. I heard it snap and the sweetness of that sound surprised me. I heard Charlie's sirens outside, but I didn't stop. Jake tried to pull me off of Sam, and I kicked him as hard as I could, sending him toppling behind me.

Everyone had underestimated me. I was the kind one, the docile one. Despite being the same age, I had a gentler demeanor than the others. I was an optimist, the one that always sought the silver lining. But, it seemed the last of my optimism had died along with my family, and all of my pent-up rage was being released on Sam Uley.

Sam didn't fight me back, but I didn't care. I continued to slam my fist into his body until it felt limp underneath me, and even then I was angry. Had he lost consciousness? I needed him to feel every blow. I needed him to feel the weight of what he was doing to my nephew, and to me and what small shred of a 'family' we had left. To think Leah's last in-depth conversation with me was to ask me to be more affectionate with Sam while he had little concern for anyone but himself pissed me off to no end. It felt like she'd loved him in vain, and I was starting to understand that perhaps my Dad had recognized this selfish side of Sam long before anyone else had.

Could the imprints sense our pain the way we felt theirs? If so, I hoped Emily felt every slam of my fist. Her big-mouthed influence was behind his decision, I knew. He loved and wanted his son before her idiotic comments about my sister and Paul - or had appeared to, at least. What else had she said to change his mind? I almost wished she was here to see the damage I inflicted.

"Stop," Paul said behind me, barely above a whisper.

Paul was the one person I felt I couldn't argue with, so I stopped. I tried to catch my breath and looked around me. Bella stood curled into Charlie, sobbing and horrified. I was certain I looked like a man possessed compared to the boy she knew.

As I regained my senses I realized I hadn't even heard them come in. How much time had passed? Sam had lost consciousness and fell to the floor. Jake and Billy had left the room, and Paul stood behind me expressionless.

I looked down at my sore fists, finding them bloody. I didn't know if it was Sam's blood or my own. The skin on my knuckles had cracked, as had the flesh over his cheekbone and eyebrow. I walked to the sink and ran cool water over my hands.

"Does he need a doctor?" Charlie asked.

Jake emerged from his bedroom and asked Bella for Carlisle's number. Sam's face would heal before they ever got him to a hospital, and the same old risks remained. Too-high temperatures and rapid healing would always cause red flags. Then again, Charlie would have to arrest me for assault, and I could see it alongside the disappointment in his face that it was the last thing he wanted to do.

Bella rushed to me after my hands were clean and wrapped her arms around my waist. I rested my chin atop her head and took in what I'd done. The worst part was, I didn't feel guilty. Sam had gotten a fraction of the punishment he deserved. I couldn't help but recall his complaints about his absent father while growing up and fought the urge to scoff aloud at the irony.

When Carlisle arrived, he gave Sam some medicine that slowly brought him back to consciousness. He took him to another room to examine him, mostly because he could tell I hadn't finished what I started. If Sam retaliated, I'd gladly do it again.

"We still have to talk, Seth," Charlie whispered.

I nodded and sat down with Bella in my lap at the kitchen table. Keeping my arms around her seemed to help me stay calm, but it was likely from the relief she wasn't afraid after seeing me lose it. Paul and Billy sat on the other side, and Carlisle joined us a few minutes later.

Sam didn't say a word to me. Instead, he seemed to gather himself at the kitchen doorway and stoically hobbled outside. Bella clenched my forearms around her waist as I tensed beneath her, as if gently reminding me she was there.

"We were counting on Sam to be your guardian," Billy said blankly. "We don't have a backup plan."

"If he'll abandon his son, he'd probably abandon me too," I grumbled. "I don't want to live with him if he's selfish enough to abandon my nephew. Right now, I'd rather beat him again than look at him."

"Be that as it may," Charlie said quietly, "He was the best option for you and the baby to stay together, so now we're unsure where to go from here."

Bella looked puzzled. "So one of you will take him? Dad, he can stay with us."

Charlie shook his head. "No, Bella. I'm sorry, but I can't be responsible for another child. I know you're 18 now, but I work too much to be there for Seth. You were self-sufficient when you came to me. After what Seth has gone through, an absent parent isn't what he needs."

"I won't have any parents." I clarified. "Both of them are dead."

"You then, Billy?" She said expectantly.

I could tell where this was going. I didn't respond as I listened to his excuse. Bella even pleaded with Carlisle but he couldn't take me in either. I didn't ask for a reason, burying my face into Bella's shoulder instead.

Paul wanted to listen to this even less than I did because he stormed out of the room.

"If neither of you are taking me, I assume that means none of you can take the baby," I said. It wasn't a question, I knew they would not take him.

"I'm sorry, Seth," Billy told me. "We will try to find you a foster home on the reservation but I can't guarantee we can keep you and your nephew together. You need a two-parent family, son."

Muffled against Bella's shoulder, I complained, "No one thought I needed two parents when it was just me and Mom at home. What's the difference?!"

"He's not going to fucking foster care," Paul yelled as he walked back in. "Sue took care of you Billy, and you, Charlie! Even after Harry died she cooked for the two of you and did everything she could to be a friend to you, and you send her kid and grandkid to foster care?" He didn't wait for another excuse as he stormed back outside and exploded into his wolf the second he was out the door.

I couldn't listen to this. I gently guided Bella to stand, walked out the door, and yelled for Paul. When he didn't come, I stripped, tied Jake's shorts to my ankle, and phased. Thankfully, I only detected Paul and Jared. The last person I wanted in my head at the moment was Sam.

"Paul, we need to get to the baby."

He said, "I'm already almost there."

Of all the rejections I'd heard, Carlisle's surprised me the most. He took in all of his family under terrible circumstances, but even he didn't want me. My performance with Sam likely caused Charlie to decide not to take me, and Billy's disability income couldn't possibly support him, Jake, and me.

Paul reached the hospital a few minutes before me and didn't even wait for me outside. The walk through the hospital was grim. Would this be the last time I saw the baby? He didn't even have a damn name yet. Maybe I would never find out what it was.

Rosalie was standing by the door to the nursery arguing with a woman in a pantsuit. She shooed the woman away when she saw me and her expression changed.

"Seth, what happened?" She asked me. "You look like shit."

I recounted the morning's events for her, not leaving out a single detail of my attack on Sam. My revelation didn't faze her any. I could have sworn I saw a hint of pride cross her face, though it was fleeting.

"I've been fighting off social workers all morning." She admitted. "Sam called last night and said he wouldn't take the baby. Unfortunately, I had to report it because it's my job. My hands were tied, Seth. I'm so sorry."

"Can you take us in, Rosalie?" I pleaded. "Emmett likes me. You're both legally adults, right? I'll sleep outside in fucking wolf form if I have to, but they won't let me live without a guardian at seventeen."

She led me to a bench nearby, and we sat together and she captured one of my hands in hers. I blanched, but not from her icy touch. I knew what this was. She was letting me down easy.

She looked me directly in the eyes before explaining. "I would if I could, and I mean that, Seth. Unfortunately, we have a higher power for our kind… sort of like a vampire royal family, far more powerful than you could ever imagine. For them, werewolves are the enemy. They won't care that you guys are different from other wolves, and Carlisle's ties to them would make it too easy for them to discover the situation. If I took a wolf into my home and they found out, my entire family would be under a death sentence. Having human authorities probing into our personal lives might expose us too. Our family situation is very carefully constructed so we can remain among humans. If they discovered how much of our lives is falsified… it could go very badly for everyone involved. It's just too dangerous and would put both of you in danger. I'd have done almost anything to help your sister, and Leah would never forgive me for exposing you to that, Seth. I hope you can forgive me now."

Her excuse at least made sense, and I nodded my defeat. "I miss her."

"Me too, Seth, and I care about you. I want you to believe that. I wish things were different. I truly do."

"Promise me one thing, then," I demanded. She nodded, and I continued. "Protect him. I don't care what you have to do. He's worth it, I swear he is. He should've been born into a big loving family and he wasn't. He could have been, though, and I'm sure he'd have had the benefit of knowing you, too. The shitty thing is, they will not tell me anything, and he doesn't even have a name, so it will be impossible for me to find him if he goes into foster care. Just make sure he's safe for me, please. I'll do anything I can, but it all seems so hopeless. I need him to be safe. It was the last thing Leah asked for before losing consciousness in the ambulance, and…" Glancing toward Paul and back, I finished, "We can't let her down. We just can't."

Reaching for my other hand, she gently squeezed both. "Seth, I swear, nothing bad will happen to this boy. If I need Jasper to follow him to keep him happy, have Edward monitor his thoughts, or have Alice watch for his future, I will. He will be fine."

She sounded so certain. I didn't know how to respond other than nodding to show I believed her. I trusted her to keep her promise.

Eager to see him, I turned my attention to my nephew. Paul was still holding him, his finger wrapped up in one tiny fist as he whispered affectionate praises, words I had no doubt he'd gladly tell Leah if he could. I walked over to his bedside and Rosalie followed me. My nephew smiled, and he looked so much like Leah that I felt my heart shatter. What if this was the last time I saw him?

"Paul," Rosalie said softly. "You were the last person to see Leah, right? The last one she talked to?" He didn't answer, but she already knew he was. "I'd imagine she told you what she wanted to name her baby? She must have hinted, at least?"

I saw what she was doing. She wanted Paul to provide a name so we could find him later. He looked at Rosalie with a newfound hope in his eyes.

I didn't know if it would work, nor did Rosalie, but the three of us vowed to swear Leah had told us what to name the baby. Rosalie would say she heard it in appointments. I could claim Leah told me casually. Paul recounted his last moments with her, including some of their final private conversations, hoping the three of us could agree on something we could name her baby. We still didn't have a name picked out when I left, though. Rosalie asked us to give her time to talk with Carlisle and see if this would even work. If the baby got placed into foster care, the last name may not stick, but hopefully, the first name would.

We left a few hours later, and Paul returned to my house with me. Going back home only brought more worries to the forefront of my mind. What would happen to my house if I went to foster care? My parents had owned it outright, alongside Mom's van and Leah's car. Dad hated debt and paid off the mortgage ten years ago. My mom had had no debt either.

I hated I couldn't live here. It felt wrong without my family, but it was also where all my memories of them were. How could I leave them behind?

I sat on my couch and looked around the room at all the pictures of me and Leah growing up. Paul, Jake, Quil, and Embry were on the wall, too. I was glad Sam wasn't. I was unsure why and had never questioned it before, but for now, I was grateful.

My ire returned as I glanced at the center of the array of photos and spotted Emily. I remembered the day Mom took that photo of her. Emily had spent the weekend with Leah and didn't want to go home. She hated being in Neah Bay and had asked dozens of times if she could live with us. Mom tried to cheer her up, but it was to no avail. Leah suggested taking photos from La Push back with her so she'd have something from here with her. Emily loved the idea, and we had a photo shoot on the beach. It was such a fun day, but now the sight of the photo made me sick to my stomach. I didn't want that bitch's face in my home.

The frame the photos were in was meaningless to me, so I slammed my fist over the picture of Emily, shattering the glass with a satisfying crunch, coincidentally leaving long claw-like gouges down the side of Emily's face. Paul handed me a lighter, clearly on the same page as me, and I walked outside to set the photo on fire in my front yard. While we stood and watched the photo go up in flames, a few cars pulled up outside.

Suddenly fearful, I froze. Had the authorities already come for me? Were they going to take me out of my home now?

I sighed in relief as all of my pack brothers, sans Sam, joined me in watching the photo burn. They didn't even know what it was.

Quil asked, "Did you decide to dabble in arson?" I glared at him and he raised his hands. "Hey, no judgment. It was an innocent question."

I chuckled. Quil always knew how to cheer me up. "It was a photo of Emily," I explained. "What are you all doing here?"

Jake and Embry came back with half a dozen suitcases. "We're not letting them take you. We can't adopt a baby, but they're not taking you, Seth. We're all staying here with you. If anyone wants to take you they must get through us first. Charlie can't arrest us all."

I didn't know if this would work, but I was grateful for the pack. For the first time in days, I had a reason to feel optimistic.

I didn't know it yet, but Kim would become a godsend with our quest to stay put up in my house until we could figure out a guardian for me. When she learned of our plan she firmly planted herself at my house and among the pack. We hadn't thought about how we'd get groceries if none of us were leaving, or that between all of us, we'd be lucky to make eggs without burning the house down. Between her and Bella's offer to help where she could, we were all a little more optimistic.

The following morning, I called in every favor my parents had ever earned. All of their friends had an excuse for why they couldn't take me in. And, to be fair, I understood the reasoning for many. I hadn't even bothered most of them with the baby. If they couldn't take me, they definitely wouldn't take a premature newborn.

Thanks to Rosalie, Carlisle had sworn my nephew needed the extra observation, keeping him admitted for a few more days to give me time. Leeches or not, I'd be forever indebted to the Cullen's for that. It gave Paul and me a few more chances to see and hold him before someone could snatch him away from us for good.

When I finally accepted the limbo of my fate, I started making calls solely for my nephew. Sam's mother was my obvious first choice. I'd only met her a few times, but she hardly seemed like someone who would abandon her grandson. I momentarily thought that I had her, but she insisted I had to be wrong and that her Sam would never do that to his child. She asked me if the baby was special needs, or if Leah had cheated on her son, and I decided she was a lost cause.

After ending that call, I slammed my phone against the table and put my face in my hands. It felt hopeless. Nobody would help either of us. I was going to lose him.

When I looked back up, Kim stood beside me with a plate of food. She looked afraid, the same way Bella had when she saw me beat Sam senseless. I looked down and saw the remnants of my shattered phone.

"I'm sorry, Kim," I said as I accepted the plate she offered me. "I need to get my temper under control."

She sat down and put her hand over mine. "Don't dare apologize. I'm worried about you, but I'll always be here. You're part of this pack, which means you're my family, too. If I could fix this for you, I would do it in a heartbeat."

Kim was one of the sweetest girls I'd ever met. I was glad she was with Jared. "You don't know how much I appreciate you, Kim. If I could find a home for Leah's baby I would be okay. This just feels so impossible."

She smiled at me. "I know it does. I have a few tricks up my sleeve, Seth. Don't give up and please don't lose your optimism. It was one thing your sister loved most about you."

Tears welled in my eyes again, and Kim left me alone at the table, telling me she'd go into town to get a new phone for me. I headed to my room to gather what little savings I had left for the purchase. The guys were in the living room playing games, except for Paul. Paul had gone to sleep in Leah's bed yesterday after things had calmed down, and I hadn't seen him since. I didn't expect that he'd be leaving soon. Leah's scent still lingered heavily in that space, and if it brought a bit of comfort for me, then I could only imagine how it affected Paul.

I didn't want to bother him but I needed to ask him about the imprint. I was dying to know if he'd ever told Leah. If he hadn't, I could understand why he was grieving the way he was. If he had… well, I could understand that, too.

There was a soft knock on the door later that afternoon and we all stopped in our tracks. Bella and Kim hadn't been knocking, they came in the back door knowing it was unlocked. Jared peeked out the window, and the color rushed from his face.

"It's Charlie."

I wasn't afraid to face Charlie. "Is he alone?"

When Jared confirmed he was, Jake opened the door for him. It was hard for me to be upset with Charlie. I understood his reasoning for not taking me, and I certainly understood why he wouldn't take the baby when he worked constantly. What bothered me was that he seemed to have no interest in helping me convince Billy or one of my parents' other friends to take me in. Surely, he had some sway there.

Charlie didn't say a word as he walked into the room. He went to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and grabbed a beer. He looked around at our setup. It was like he was sizing us up, trying to gauge how committed to our plan we were, looking for a weak link, something he could use to convince us to give up. He sat down and sighed when he didn't seem to find one.

To no one in particular, he asked, "What's your plan here, boys?"

Jake, being our natural leader spoke up. "Well, we aren't letting anyone take our brother."

He nodded. "It's admirable, what you're trying to do here. I don't know what you think is going to happen, though. None of you can take him in."

"You could," Quil argued. "Jared and Paul are over eighteen, they could technically get custody of him. Adopt him, even."

Charlie shook his head. "I wish it were that easy, boy, I swear I do. It's just not going to happen. Even here on the reservation, a barely legal adult won't get custody of a seventeen-year-old through foster care. He could be adopted, of course, but not quick enough to stop Seth from going to foster care, at least temporarily. He needs a guardian until the paperwork gets processed."

The pack continued to voice their suggestions and didn't get discouraged or upset as Charlie shot each one down. They attacked this problem the way we'd attack a leech; relentlessly. Every time something didn't work, they'd come back with another idea that might. Eventually, I got overwhelmed and excused myself to the bathroom.

The bathroom I went to was by my parent's bedroom. Mom always kept things tidy, but her bathroom had been hers alone since Dad died. The morning we left for the festival, the morning she died, we had left in such a hurry that she hadn't bothered to pick up her makeup brushes from the floor or unplug her hair dryer.

I thought of the way she would have reacted if my bathroom had been such a mess, and it was like I could hear her voice. 'Make time to clean your bathroom and make your bed, Seth', she'd say. 'You don't want to start your day by leaving a mess behind'. I wished the bathroom was the only mess she'd left behind. This one I could clean up myself. Everything else was still a disaster. I picked up the mess and returned everything to where I remembered her keeping them. I knew I'd have to get rid of most of it eventually, but I wouldn't, couldn't do it now.

Paul sat next to Charlie when I came back out to the kitchen. Charlie was still casually sipping his beer, and Paul spoke up.

"What are you truly here for, Charlie?" He asked. "I know you don't suddenly care what we're doing here. Did Sam send you?"

Charlie laughed. "You think I'd have wasted a trip out for the likes of Sam Uley? You don't know me like you think you do, boy." The look Charlie shot my way told me he never truly blamed me for the ass-beating I'd given Sam, and knowing he wasn't entirely wary of me now provided a little more relief.

Still, I wasn't in the mood for shenanigans. "Please, just cut to the chase."

He tipped back his beer bottle and swallowed what remained. "Listen, Seth. I've been thinking all day, and I don't feel good about this, but I want you to tell Bella about the imprint. If she wants you, and she will help you raise that baby, I will be your guardian and you two can raise the baby at my house. Once you're eighteen and don't need to be under my roof anymore, then you could move back over here. But, only if Bella is on board."

My heart soared at the prospect. It would solve all of my problems, and then some. I could have both the baby and Bella… It would be a literal dream come true.

Incredulous, Paul asked, "Why would you offer that?"

Charlie sighed. "Well… I see it like this. The two of them are bound for each other, anyway. If he loses his nephew and goes to foster care, I don't know what kind of man my daughter may end up with later on in life. We can't force this on her, though. It has to be her choice. Keep in mind, she's still a teenager, too."

I shook my head in disbelief. "Not what I expected after losing it on Sam yesterday."

Charlie harrumphed. "I'd have decked him myself if it weren't for my job. I saw how gentle you were with Bella immediately after, though. I know you won't hurt my baby girl, Seth. This anger isn't who you are, but it's understandable… for now."

Charlie's praise meant a lot. He sounded so much like my dad at that moment, I had to blink back tears. I had a newfound confidence that I hadn't felt since we wrecked. If the last two weeks had proven anything, it was that part of Bella already loved me, too. Her actions more than anything had shown me that. All there was to do now was talk it over with Bella.

Bella arrived late in the evening. The scent of leech was heavy on her clothes, and I knew she had been with the Cullens. Everyone was still up, all playing games and waiting. It didn't matter where I talked to Bella, everyone would hear the conversation, and each seemed as eager as I was. The kitchen table was as good a place as any for us to get this over with.

I couldn't hide how nervous I felt. My palms were sweaty, and I knew she could tell something was off. She sat beside me, and I noticed Quil peeking at us from inside the living room. I tried to ignore how she smelled, and just think about Bella. My mind was warring between loving her and being enraged by the scent of Edward, and I could already tell this wasn't going as I'd hoped. I said nothing for a while, hoping everything wouldn't sound wrong.

She asked if something was wrong but must have realized how ridiculous that was before it completely left her mouth. Of course, it was a ludicrous question, my family had just died, but I wouldn't have faulted her for asking. That wasn't the issue at the forefront of my mind.

She reached out for my hand, and hers was cold to the touch. That made the anger I was feeling worse. She even felt like him. How could I expect her to leave him for me and my nephew? Imprint or not, Edward loved her, too. I did not doubt he'd not let her go easily, even if it was inevitable.

"Bella," I started. "I need something from you, and you know I wouldn't ask if it wasn't serious."

She nodded. "You can ask me anything, Seth. You know that."

When someone says you can ask them anything, it's usually under the pretense of normal asks. Can I borrow your phone charger? Do you have five dollars I could have? Nothing like the favor I needed from her. I just needed to spit it out. Delaying it was making me nervous, and she was uncomfortable, too.

"Bella, I love you." I felt relieved as a smile crossed her face. It gave me the push I needed to continue.

"We have always been friends, but I genuinely love you. I know you're with Edward, but you told me yourself it didn't feel the same with him anymore. If you leave him, Bella, we could be together. We could raise Leah's baby together. I know I'm a little younger than you, and we aren't even dating, but I swear we could make this work. Things would be a little backward, but… Bella, this could be right for us, for him."

The longer I talked to her, the less confident I felt. Her smile widened when I confessed my affection but quickly disappeared as I went on. I should have told her I imprinted, but I couldn't. Charlie was right, this needed to be her choice. If I told her she was supposed to be with me, it would seem like I was trying to take her choice away, and we all knew Bella could be stubborn as hell.

Her voice cracked. "I love you, Seth, and it isn't the same way I love the other guys. It's not the right time, though. I don't know if I'm ready to leave Edward, I have no experience with babies, and we're both too young for this. You're still in high school. You don't even have your license yet."

I bypassed the stage of being upset and felt a visceral rage instead. Thankfully, the guys were close by, because Bella might need one of them to come in between us. I'd never intentionally hurt her, but I didn't feel in control of myself since I attacked Sam.

I yelled, "Are you serious, Bella? Is right now a bad time for you? I'm so sorry Mom and Leah didn't choose a better time to die and leave me damn-near homeless! I'm in school, and I can't drive, so what? Am I supposed to let my nephew go to foster care without fighting for him? You love me too, but not enough to help me save my dead sister's fucking baby?"

I was shaking, and I saw her recoil from me. She was afraid again. I hated the fear on her face with everything in me, but I couldn't help it anymore. As I felt what was left of my heart shattering and my body began to shake, I wasn't certain she shouldn't be afraid of me right now.

She shrieked, "Seth, stop it! This is exactly why I can't do this with you! You aren't in control of yourself!"

She didn't know how right she was. Paul came in at the right second and pulled Bella from the room. I barely made it through the door before I exploded into my wolf, and I ran until I couldn't anymore.