Bella spared no expense on her new furry friend. I didn't blame her. I already adored the little guy.

He didn't have a chip or a collar, appeared unkept, and was skinny and malnourished. The veterinary staff immediately believed he was a stray, likely dumped by its mother's 'owner.' The secretary asked where Bella found him, hoping there weren't other pups left behind for potential injury. It wasn't uncommon for irresponsible pet owners to dump a full litter in the woods without a second thought.

I added pet names to the long list of things Bella and I couldn't agree about. We knew he needed a name to be tagged but not what to call him.

They tended his wounds with gentle hands and updated all of his shots. The vet was calm, intelligent, and compassionate enough that I took one of his business cards to pass along to the resident doctor at the clinic in La Push. He was the son of an old friend of Billy's and one of the few outsiders who knew of the wolves. As odd as it might sound, there may come a day when an injury might require a vet's advice when a wolf's injuries meant he couldn't phase to human. I hoped it would never be necessary, but having his number couldn't hurt.

A few hours later, we were on our way home with what the vet estimated to be a four-month-old pup (much to our surprise. He was going to be a big boy) and a dose of antibiotics to prevent infection in the wounds. He had to be quarantined from other pets, but that wasn't an issue since we didn't have any.

I called Jared before we left to ensure he and Kim weren't allergic to dogs. It was my house, so I didn't need permission to bring him back there, but I still intended to be courteous to them. Kim was excited to meet him. I sat in the truck with him while Bella and my credit card went inside the store to get everything she'd need for him.

The pup was sleeping off the medicine the vet gave him, and I contemplated some name options while I waited for her. I almost hated that we didn't live together. Almost. I needed Bella because of the imprint, but I was not ready to commit to being a permanent fixture in her life. I would have to visit this guy often, though.

I jumped out of the truck when I saw Bella struggling to carry her haul. She bought a bed for him and had five or six bags of other things she'd need.

As I took the bed from her, she said, "I got a small bag of food for tonight, but I'll need a bigger one tomorrow. Would you mind getting it for me?"

As she lifted her bags to readjust them, I noticed Bella had been bitten. Her arm was bloody and swollen, the bites somewhat inflamed. When I picked her up, I thought the blood was the dog's, but the punctures were obvious now.

I demanded, "Who bit you? The pup or the coyote?"

She jerked her arm back, hiding it from me. "You weren't supposed to see that."

"You didn't answer my question."

She sighed. "I'm not going to the hospital."

"That's hilarious. We'll see what Charlie has to say, I guess."

She teared up, and I instantly regretted threatening her with her father. I wasn't backing down, though. "Bella, if the dog needs a preventative antibiotic, so do you. That bite could turn septic. That shit's deadly. We need to get it looked at."

"If I hadn't messed everything up, I wouldn't even need to go to the hospital," she muttered.

Confused, I asked, "What did you mess up? With the coyote?"

"No, with the Cullen's. Carlisle could've treated this at home. I hate going to the hospital."

The bit of remorse I felt quickly disappeared. As much as I wished Rosalie was here, I didn't regret that the bloodsuckers were gone.

"I should've told you about the imprint before things got serious between you and the bloodsucker," I told her. "It would never work. He knew you were my imprint."

She scoffed. "Of course, Edward knew. If not for Emily, I wouldn't even know!"

"I'm not fighting with you," I told her. "I'll drop you off at the hospital and take him home. Kim will watch him, and I'll come back for you."

She didn't argue. She slammed the door to her truck when she got out to walk inside the hospital. I knew she'd be mad, but arguing with her wouldn't do anything but make both of us angry. We would not resolve our issues easily, if ever.

Kim was waiting at the door like a kid on Christmas morning. Jared seemed annoyed, but I could tell he was secretly excited. He just didn't want Kim to know.

Kim cleared out a place for him and puppy-proofed the living room. I had to set up the bed and stay with him for a few minutes to ensure he felt comfortable. He had been through a lot already, but the little guy was resilient and friendly. Once satisfied that our new friend with no name was in excellent hands, I left to get Bella from the hospital.

I was almost in Forks when my phone started buzzing. It was Paul. "Pull over," he barked when I answered. "I'm not letting you go back to that hospital alone."

I was thankful that I didn't have to admit how badly I'd been dreading going to the hospital to get her. The last time I'd gone there was when we found out my nephew was missing. I didn't desire to visit the place alone, but I would for Bella. I pulled to the side of the road and Paul ran up to the truck a few minutes later.

I asked, "How'd you know what was going on?"

"A brother's intuition." He smiled. "Jared was excited about the dog, but I planned to catch up with you tonight anyway. I'll deal with leech lover if I have to."

I smirked at him. "Once I'm sure she won't fight another wild animal, we can go home."

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me either way. One of us will have to patrol soon, so I'm just along for the ride. Seeing you on Sam's schedule is getting old."

He was right. I was more tired of Sam than I could put into words. I hoped he'd only stick to this for a few more weeks, but it had been nearly two months. This was our new normal, and we all knew it.

I suggested, "Maybe you should fight him for alpha then."

"It's been on my mind more and more." He admitted, "I've been practicing with Jared. The thing is, if I swing and miss he's going to be so much harder on both of us. That's if I survive at all. Leah wouldn't want me to leave you alone, kid."

Paul claimed he was thinking of what Leah would want, but we both knew I'd spiral if something happened to him. I didn't know if I'd survive it.

"How are you doing lately? I know your job helped you cope."

"I'm surviving. I'll get my job back once Sam's reign of terror is over." At least he was being optimistic. "I got a voicemail from Casey today. He said he was calling you. He's got a lead on the kid. Jared and Quil are covering for us tomorrow afternoon so we can go see what's going on."

I had forgotten to check my voicemail because of the dog situation. Casey had been working diligently to find the family that had my nephew, but so far we'd come up with nothing. I was glad he'd called Paul and planned for us to see him. I missed our weekly lunches with Casey and Ash.

I filled Paul in on what happened with Sam and Emily. I still felt puzzled by how Sam sounded when he found out, as though it disappointed him, somehow, as though maybe he'd been hoping to find him, too. He truly sounded remorseful, but it didn't matter. As long as he was with Emily, she wouldn't allow him to have a relationship with his son. I didn't care, though. I'd love my nephew enough for both of the parents he'd lost. He may not have Sam and Leah, but he'd have me and Paul. He'd have the rest of the pack, Kim, and Bella. She was my imprint, after all. Despite everything, she wasn't going anywhere.

"I wish Rosalie would fucking contact me," I admitted. "She could help us find him." I realized what I'd said as the words left my mouth suddenly feeling guilty for my reaction to Bella admitting she wished Carlisle was still here. I hated it because it was hypocritical and unfair.

Paul reacted with the scowl I'd expected him to have. "She betrayed us the same way Sam did. She was Leah's friend, she should've been here to help us find the kid, but she ran away like a coward."

Rosalie's betrayal didn't hold a candle to Sam's in my eyes, but I didn't want to argue with Paul.

As though sensing my reluctance to argue further, he said, "Let's just save any more discussion about this situation for our meeting with Casey tomorrow. No point in getting pissy twice."

We were mostly quiet for the rest of the drive. I parked at a restaurant near the hospital. I didn't want to be that close to the building, and it wasn't a far walk.

"I'll go get Bella," Paul muttered. "Seth…?"

The hesitation in his voice made me pause.

"There's something I need to tell you."

My heart fell as my mind ran wild with possibilities. Was he moving out? Had something bad happened? Was I somehow losing him, too?

"I saw Leah yesterday. In my dreams, I mean. Jared let me take a nap during patrol and I saw her. Maybe it had something to do with the imprint connection, so I could only see her as a wolf, but I saw her. Jared did, too."

I didn't know how to respond. I still disbelieved Paul and Billy's ideas about dreams. I was interested to know what they'd talked about, though.

"I told her I hoped I wouldn't see her." He said. "I mean, I saw her body. I know she's dead. Somehow, it didn't feel real until I saw her in my dream. It was like, maybe someday we'd run into her or something.. I know, that sounds crazy."

I cleared my throat as I wiped away tears. "It's not crazy."

He nodded. "I tried to tell her you were doing well, and she knew I was lying, so I laid it all out on the table. I told her everything. The bar fights, the women, Bella… She heard it all."

"What did she say?" I needed to know.

"She didn't want to talk about what happened since she died. She told me I needed to know she was okay, even if she didn't visit me often. We talked about all the what ifs…" He paused for a moment, his voice trailing off. "She told me if she could do it over, she'd choose me. She apologized for going back to Sam. It was a lot to take in."

I almost wished I could talk to her. I didn't even believe in it, but it seemed to feel real to Paul, I was envious. I would give anything to have another conversation with my sister.

"She told me to tell you something, too." He swallowed hard. "She said Bella was her friend and if she were here, she'd never let us treat her the way we have. I swear, I'm going to try harder with her. For Leah. She said she'll visit your wolf in his dreams."

I knew I needed to try it. I had slept as my wolf before, but I'd never seen Leah. If this was real and she'd made that offer to Paul, maybe she'd be there. I would find out soon enough.

Bella was ready when Paul went inside to get her. A bit of a regular at the emergency room given her clumsiness, the shots she needed didn't take long. Bella was laughing when she came into my view. She slid into the seat between us, still smiling, not as grumpy as she'd been when I dropped her off. I vaguely wondered if they'd given her a shot of pain medication for the swelling in her arm. That stuff always made her a little loopy.

I said, "Those rabies shots sure improved your mood."

She rolled her eyes. "Can we go get food? I'm starving."

"It's the middle of the night," Paul responded. "The closest drive-thru that's open this late is in Port Angeles and I'm way too tired to drive you there. Your leeches didn't need sleep, but we wolves do."

"I know, but if I try to cook at home, I'll wake Kim and Jared."

Paul sighed loudly. "Fine, you can come to our house. We have food you can cook."

I hadn't wanted Bella at our place, but I didn't argue. It would allow me more time with Paul. Besides, I was starving and Bella was an excellent cook. It wasn't like Leah's invitation to visit me was a limited offer. It could wait a day.

Our house was a mess, but if Bella thought anything of it, she kept it to herself. We'd barely been here between patrols lately. It surprised me to see Embry and Quil crowded into our tiny living space when we arrived. They seemed equally surprised to see Bella with us.

I wasn't in the mood to question their presence. Our couch pulled out into a bed, and Paul and I each had our bedrooms. Embry had a spare key, and he'd come here sometimes when he needed to get away, but I didn't know he was sharing it with Quil. I was too tired to worry about it. I showed Bella around the kitchen quickly before I headed to my bedroom. It had been a long day, and I needed to rest.

I woke up to the smell of strawberries and a grumbling stomach. Bella's arm lay across my torso, her head resting on my shoulder. My mother's ring sat on her ring finger, glistening under the sunlight pouring in from my window. It was like waking from a dream, a haunting flash of what could have been.

I wanted to be furious, but this moment was the calmest I'd felt in years. My wolf wasn't angry, or thirsty for vengeance, he was at peace with his mate being this close. I stroked her hair gently, and she hummed in response, curling her tiny fingers around the fabric of my shirt.

I cursed my friends for not waking me to eat, knowing they'd have left nothing behind. I didn't want to move Bella, but I desperately needed food. It had been a whole day since I'd eaten, and even longer since I drank anything. My hunger wasn't at the forefront of my mind at any point yesterday, but it was now.

I wondered what had led her to climb into my bed. We had barely had a civil conversation in months, nothing to imply that I'd enjoy sleeping next to her. I could practically hear Paul telling her she couldn't sleep next to Quil or Embry unless she wanted to face my wrath. It was mostly true, though it would be amusing for her to brave sleeping near a kicking Quil. I could picture the aggravation on her face as my long-forgotten playful side stirred. I nearly had to bite back a laugh over the thought.

She stirred over my slight movement. I lay still to prevent disturbing her, but she was already awake. The moment her eyes opened she flinched away from me.

"Good morning," I said calmly.

She sighed. "I know you don't like me, but it was you, Paul, or Quil. I chose Quil first, but that was before I remembered he kicks in his sleep."

"I wish I didn't like you. It would make my life a Hell of a lot easier," I said as I got up from the bed. "Did Em leave?"

She nodded, avoiding looking at me. I hadn't meant to sound cruel but assumed she'd taken them that way. I selected clean clothes from my closet and fumbled through my drawers looking for my checkbook. We had to meet Casey, and the old bastard preferred check payments. He didn't like credit cards.

Bella asked what I was looking for and she spotted it quickly. I began changing my clothes, tugging my shirt over my head, anticipating she would leave the room. She didn't. While unable to look at me only a moment ago, now she couldn't seem to look away. I could feel her as she slowly appraised my side profile from neck to toe while I removed the rest of my clothing. For once, she didn't blush. Unsure what to think of that, I didn't comment, deciding to ignore her presence as I quickly redressed.

As I went to leave the room, she grabbed my arm. "Wait. Can we please talk?"

"I have nothing to say," I told her. It hurt to be cold to her after the experience we'd had over the last day, but I didn't trust her yet.

"Well, I do," she said. "I think you owe it to me to hear me out."

She thought I owed it to her? Bella had been the catalyst that fueled my spiral after I lost my family. She turned her back on me when I needed her most. Then I'd believed she went immediately behind my back to Sam, and she never tried to correct it. Even now, I couldn't focus on finding my nephew because I was too busy hunting a leech that wanted to kill Bella. Even when I kept as much distance from her as possible, I was still at her beck and call when her safety mattered. Now Bella dared to tell me I owed her this conversation?

My voice was thick with carefully contained anger as I growled, "I don't owe you a goddamn thing, and you'd do well to remember that. I asked you to say whatever you had to say at the beach, Bella. That was the reason I agreed to go, remember? I have to keep you safe, but I don't have to give you a moment of my time otherwise."

Tears immediately spilled down her cheeks. "Sam abandoned his entire family for his imprint, but you can't suffer through a simple conversation for me?"

"Sam is a spineless piece of shit. It's too bad he wasn't the one to imprint on you since he seems to have your approval." I was yelling now, my checkbook crushed beneath my fingers.

She wiped the tears and forced herself to look me in the eye "You know, you're acting an awful lot like Edward. He kept things from me, swearing it was to keep me safe. He was selfish, and controlling, refusing to listen to reason, and only cared about what he wanted. His worries and fears, anger, and pain. Everything was about his bitterness about what he couldn't change… just like you've been for the last year, Seth. Morose, unpredictable, hateful, judgemental, violent, and downright fucking mean sometimes…" Bella choked out a sob and shook her head. "You act just like him now."

Admitting to the parallels hurt, but it pissed me off Bella compared us so thoroughly in some aspects, yet somehow disregarded the countless ways in which we were different. I'd never leave her in the woods the way he did. I never led her on, knowing I'd always intended to leave her one day. After all, what other conclusion would their relationship have come to when Edward knew she was my imprint? He could never turn her. I may not have told her about the imprint… mostly because I didn't want to take her choices away. But I never tried to convince her of a future we'd never have. Even when I'd asked her to be with me, to help me raise my nephew, I'd made her no promises like the ones Edward had made.

Unlike Edward, I'd forced myself to be there when she needed me despite my bitterness. I tended to her basic needs and was damn near happy to do it, even when I didn't want to. I would never, ever intentionally endanger her life. I'd never abandon her entirely. Hell, I'd just woken up with her half-assed on top of me and tried my damndest to let her sleep.

I wasn't entirely ignorant of her and Edward's relationship issues. Bella frequently confided in Kim with Jared in the next room, overhearing everything she had to say. Jared's mind would wander when bored on patrol, and I'd heard plenty when he was unaware I was listening. So had Paul, who would begrudgingly fill me in when I least expected it, almost like an excuse to grumble about 'the leech lover.' I'd disregarded most of it as being her business and not mine, but I couldn't help but recall her admissions now.

Edward ignored her wishes, needs, and pain when it didn't suit his purpose. He'd punish her with his snarky attitude and sarcasm when she'd done something that made him jealous (such as choosing my company over his), then would lovebomb her with unwanted gifts and clinginess once she'd apologized to keep the peace. Edward gaslit her plenty, always excusing his lies by claiming he was merely 'protecting' her.

Worst of all, Edward had known, like Alice, that something terrible would happen to my family that day. He, too, had rushed to save Bella's life while letting Mom and Leah die. He was partly responsible for the redhead we were still chasing, as that situation directly resulted from the initial attack.

Then, after everything he'd done for her so-called protection, Edward left her, under attack from another vampire, mentally unsound after one of the cruelest speeches imaginable, and alone in the woods where she could have easily died in a dozen different ways, including Injury, hypothermia, wild animals, that she was having a full-on mental breakdown… Let's not forget the psychotic redhead.

I would have never done that to her, no matter what she'd done to me. Edward and I weren't the same.

Quil burst through the door of my small bedroom, and I realized I'd said a great deal of that aloud. I'd screamed it, in fact. Quil took one glance at me and moved Bella behind him.

"Calm down, Seth," he said.

"Don't tell me to calm down, Ateara," I growled. "Get her the fuck out of my house."

"I know you're struggling, man, but you can't talk to her like this. Do you think she doesn't already know half the shit you just said? She's fucking living it, dude."

Paul stepped in and ushered them out the door before I could respond. I sank to my bed and waited for them to be gone. When he returned to the room, I could see the fury in his eyes. It wasn't often that Paul was mad at me.

"You have to stop letting your temper get the best of you. I can't keep protecting you from Sam, and you know he'll hear about that little rant you just had, eventually."

I rolled my eyes. "How have you been protecting me? I've barely even seen you."

"Yeah? You're running half the patrols everyone else is because I'm picking up the rest." He told me. I went to respond, but he held his hand up and cut me off. "We have more of a parent and child dynamic than the brotherly relationships you have with the rest of the guys. I'd do anything to protect you, but you can't do shit like this. As much as I don't like Bella, you and I both know Leah would stomp your ass if she'd been here to listen to that. If you wanted to kick the girl while she's already down, well… Good job, I guess."

He left the room, telling me to hurry and get ready to meet Casey. I hoped that finally seeing Casey after two months would improve my day because it wasn't off to a great start. I made some breakfast sandwiches to take with us and waited for Paul in Leah's car.

Another memory of Leah came to me while I waited. Mom had to meet with an estate attorney after Dad died, and she asked us to go with her. Leah was never a morning person. My mood toward Bella was a fraction of what I'd get from Leah if I woke her up when she became overtired after one of her random bouts of insomnia. The difference was that Leah would apologize to me, but I had no intention of apologizing to Bella. There wasn't a damned thing I said that wasn't true.

I woke up early the morning we'd accompanied Mom to see the attorney. Quil's family had a store near my house, so I walked there, bought snacks for the road, and then made road-friendly breakfast and coffee for everyone. I cleaned out Leah's car while waiting on the coffeemaker. The car wasn't dirty, but she accumulated random stuff in the back seat like empty water bottles, sneakers, junk mail, etc.

When it was time to wake Mom and Leah up, all they had to do was get dressed. We were completely ready to go. Leah told me I'd make a girl very happy someday because I knew how to care for her and Mom so well. We had a great day together, despite the terrible circumstances.

Sometimes I hated getting these flashbacks of them. It made me miss her more. It made me miss the person I was before losing them. I didn't have to wonder what Mom would say about how I was treating Bella because we'd already discussed it before. Leah was the first person to find out I'd imprinted, but Mom swore she knew before it happened.

"You always seemed drawn to her, son." She told me. "Even when you were just babies. Bella loves you, too, I just know it."

I was adamant about keeping it a secret. "She's happy with Edward, Mom."

"She may be, but she's meant to be with you. You need to tell her. At least remember that Bella should be aware because our enemies will target our imprints. She needs to know we're protecting her." Mom reached for my hand and squeezed it. "I know you'll do the right thing."

"If I tell her, I feel I'm taking away her choices," I argued. "What if she wants him but feels like she has to be with me? What if she wants to leave here for good? As long as I'm phasing, I can't do that. I couldn't go with her."

She squeezed my hand. "We always have a choice, son. What's taking her choice away is not telling her. She doesn't know she has the option."

The memory of Mom amplified the guilt finally seeping in after Paul's reprimand. Mom wouldn't fault Bella for anything she did since I lost her and Leah. Mom would tell me I let my grief consume me. She would tell me I lost myself, and she would be right. And Leah? Hell, she'd have hit me with a wooden spoon by now, probably several times.

I pushed my thoughts of Mom and Leah aside and tried to focus on the drive ahead of us. I hoped we'd find my nephew soon, and it would help me find closure.

Paul talked, and I responded as little as possible without intentionally being rude. He was eager to return to his job, and I didn't blame him. I didn't tell him that I wasn't sure he'd ever be able to go back. I didn't have any faith in Jake to take over the pack, and if Paul did it he'd never be able to leave. I knew he'd fight Sam for alpha now if I wanted him to, but I didn't want him condemned to pack life. We were all stuck with this forever, but the alpha has too much responsibility for another job.

Ash waited at the door when we got to Casey's office. She'd never done that before. This couldn't be good. "Mr. Lahote, Mr. Clearwater. Please, follow me."

Suspicious over the formalities, I said, "We know the way to Casey's office, Ash..."

She looked down at her feet instead of meeting my gaze, which increased the uneasy feeling in my stomach.

Almost a whisper, she said, "I know. Follow me."

We went in the opposite direction of his office. She led us to a large conference room and shut the door behind her. Something was off, and I did not suspect what it could be. Ash had never acted this way with us before. She'd never called us by our last names.

"Officially, I'm supposed to be referring you to another attorney in the firm." She said in a hushed tone. "Something happened to Casey. He left you that voicemail and a scary man showed up an hour later."

I fought the urge to comfort Ash as she clasped her hands together to stop them from shaking and felt Paul tense beside me.

Ash continued, "Casey told me to leave, but I called my cell from the desk phone so I could listen in. He paid Casey half a million dollars to shred everything he'd found on your nephew and leave town."

I couldn't respond. I couldn't even form the words. Casey had taken money to abandon my case and destroyed any leads he'd found. I should have become infuriated, something I'm sure Ash expected (thus her trembling), but I honestly feared for him. This wasn't the type of person Casey was. It sounded as if he had little choice.

"Where did he go?" Paul asked, sounding as worried as I felt. "Is he in trouble? Is he safe?"

Ash shook her head. "He's fine. They told him as long as he dropped your case and ended contact, everything would be fine."

Tentatively, I asked, "Do you know what he was going to tell me?" I prayed she knew something, anything that could get me closer to finding him.

She whispered, "He thought he found your nephew and from the sounds of it… I think he did. He's in Alaska."

Alaska? What the hell would he be doing there?

I stepped toward her, holding my arms open in a rare offering for a hug. She looked somewhat relieved (probably because I wasn't yelling) as she stepped into my arms and hugged me before accepting a similar embrace from Paul. I could tell the entire situation truly unsettled her. She had been on our side from the start, and Paul and I knew how much she admired her boss and friend, but now she was fearful and I hated it for her.

Quietly, I said, "Thank you, Ash. Are you still in contact with Casey?"

She nodded. "I'm going with him. He doesn't think I'm safe here either. He thinks I'm still packing up his office, but I had to stay and see you. I need you to argue with me when you leave. Make a big scene. The man said if we told you anything, he'd find us. He doesn't know your names, so you should be safe."

"Whatever you need." I agreed. "Keep our numbers, Ash. I'm sure you have mine memorized by now. If this man ever threatens you again, call me immediately. I will come and take care of it. Whoever this bastard is doesn't know who he's fucking with."

Paul started yelling obscenities, and security came to escort us out. I walked by Casey's office and it suddenly hit me - Leeches. The man who threatened Casey and Ash wasn't just a 'scary man', he was a fucking leech. It was too late for me to tell her. I didn't know where they were going, either.

I could tell when the scent hit Paul because he struggled against the officer and yelled for Ashley, but we both knew she wouldn't come.

Leeches had my fucking nephew. They didn't know who they were up against, though. I'd burn the entire damn state of Alaska down until I found him.