AN: TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter does include domestic and child abuse. If you do not wish to read that, skip the part of the chapter when we go back to La Push and I'll recap what happened at the end. Stay safe. xoxo

SPOILERS! To be on the safe side. There are spoilers for the TV show Supernatural in this chapter. If you've never seen Supernatural I highly recommend it. And I apologize in advance for the spoilers you are about to read.

– Forks, Washington –

"Will you show us your sketches, love?"

Since Kol removed the venom from her wrist, a sense of peace has surrounded the trio. Klaus didn't want to disturb that, but his curiosity was getting the better of him.

Isabella leaned into him. Her hand slid up his chest. His heart was beating so fast, he thought it would jump out of his chest and land in her lap!

Did she have any idea what her touch felt like to him?

The heat of her hand surged through his clothes, sinking into his body as if it were reaching out to claim his soul. The warm sensation blanketed him, causing his cock to twitch as his wolf howled in the back of his mind.

Tilting her head up she smiled. "Hi Wolfy," she purred. She actually purred! Her hand moved up his chest until the tips of her fingers were lightly caressing his jaw.

A low growl reverberated through him, making her smile.

His eyes must've been gold with the awakening of his wolf. He couldn't smell any fear from her. Her heart was beating faster than normal, but it wasn't out of fear. From the look in her dark eyes, he'd guess she was excited.

Without looking away from him, she reached for her sketchbook that was resting on his lap. Her fingers never touched him, but good god he wanted to feel her hands on every inch of his body! Waiting to claim her was going to take every ounce of his willpower.

She shifted between the brothers and opened her sketchbook. "I saw a lot of images in one dream. It was sort of like flashes, one after the other. It's not usually like that."

"Do you always see things when you dream?" Kol asked.

"No," she answered quickly, then sighed. "Well, I don't think so." She frowned. "I'm not sure. I didn't know I was having visions until this afternoon, so I'm not sure how it works . . ."

She started by showing them the sketches Nan had already told her about. The flyer for The Founders Day 150th Anniversary Celebration. The floating feather. Seth in his wolf form. Nan's grimoire. When she turned to the sketch of the translucent, milky-colored, flat stone, set in an antique wooden box, Klaus stopped her.

He jolted up and took the book from her, needing a closer look. "That's the moonstone!"

Bella frowned. "The what?"

"Oh, bloody hell!"

Klaus turned back to his mate, meeting her eyes. "Do you know where it is, love?"

"No," she shook her head. "All I saw was the stone in a box. What is it?"

Kol gently pulled her closer, wrapping her up in his arms. "This is the stone our mother used to bind the curse she put on Klaus. It was lost over five hundred years ago. Klaus's had hundreds of witches searching for it but none have been successful in locating it."

"Until now," Klaus whispered, staring at their mate's sketchbook in awe.

She'd seen it. Maybe not a location but at least he knew Katerina hadn't found a way to destroy it.

This was incredible. His little mate had seen the stone. Countless witches have been looking for centuries and none of them have had any success and, here she was, his beautiful little mate. A novice witch. Capable of finding something he thought was lost forever.

"I can't believe you saw it." He looked back at Isabella. "Do you think you could find it, love? Would you be willing to?"

A smile lit her face. "Of course, I would. I just," she sighed, "don't know how . . ."

"No need to worry there, angel. Your Nan and I will teach you everything you need to know about magic. If you have the power to see the moonstone then, my guess is, you also have the power to locate it."

"How long do you think that'll take?" Klaus asked.

"I don't know," Kol answered. "It all depends. It could be as simple as teaching our love how to do a locator spell. Or it could be more complex than that. If none of your witches have been able to find it, that likely means it's been hidden by a powerful witch who doesn't want you to find it." Kol met his brother's eyes. "Any clue who that might be, brother?"

A growl rumbled through Klaus's chest.

Soothing him, Isabella placed her hand against his chest. As soon as she touched him, his wolf settled.

Taking a deep breath, Klaus turned the page to the next sketch. There were a few drawings they didn't know the meaning. The blond vampire being staked by Damon. The bridge. The antique necklace with an amber stone.

"Petrova," Kol hissed, looking down at the word scribbled on one of the pages. "Wasn't that Katerina's surname?"

"Mmm." Klaus nodded.

"Who's Katerina?"

"She was a doppelgänger," Klaus explained and then went on to explain how the curse worked and how it was meant to be broken. He didn't relish the idea of telling his mate of his intention to kill Katerina, but he wasn't going to hide it from her either. He'd done far worse than attempt to sacrifice a young seventeen-year-old girl to break free of this bloody curse. Should he come across another doppelgänger he wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice her as he had planned to do with Katerina.

He didn't leave anything out. He told her how they met. All about Elijah's infatuation with the girl who looked exactly like Tatia. At the mention of Tatia, he had to tell her about that, too.

"So, let me see if I understand," she smiled. "When you were human, you and Elijah fell for the same girl. A girl who—from what you've told me—seemed to be leading you both on, was unwilling to choose between you, and caused a rift in your relationship, all while playing you both for fools. Then, five hundred years later, history repeats itself with Katerina?"

Kol snickered.

"Are there any other doppelgängers I should be aware of?" She asked, arching an eyebrow. "And if there are, am I going to have to fight to keep my man?"

Klaus growled and gently pulled her into him. "I am yours, my little mate. No woman nor doppelgänger shall ever take me from you."

She smiled. "I'm going to hold you to that." She turned back to her sketchbook and flipped to another page. "The other drawings aren't as important as these two. Whoever these men are, they're important to me."

The brothers looked down at the sketch, both recognizing the man immediately.

"This is Elijah, our older brother," Kol answered.

Bella flipped the page to the man in a coffin with a silver knife in his heart. "And this one?"

"Finn," Klaus answered. "Our oldest brother."

Bella frowned. "How many of you are there?"

"There were seven of us," Klaus explained. "Freya, Finn, Elijah, myself, Kol, Rebekah, and our youngest brother Henrik."

"Freya died when she was five," Kol added. "A victim of the plague. After her death, our parents moved from Norway to Mystic Falls. Which is where Klaus, me, Rebekah, and Henrik were born."

"We lost Henrik when he was ten," Klaus continued. There was a hardness to his voice that he hoped his mate didn't pick up on. This was not a subject he wanted to discuss right now. One day. But not right now.

"His death was the catalyst to us becoming vampires," he continued. "Esther was devastated and Mikael was infuriated. He urged her to turn to the dark arts and find a way for us to become more powerful than the wolves in our village."

"Which she did," Kol sighed. "By turning us into vampires."

─── ･｡ﾟ: *. .* :ﾟ. ───

Bella shifted against Nik's side, curling into him. While Kol was bitter about becoming a vampire, likely due to the loss of his magic, Nik was completely heartbroken at the mention of his younger brother.

It was an odd sensation. She knew the emotions weren't hers. These emotions belonged to her mates. She wasn't sure why she could suddenly feel them. Perhaps it had something to do with their mating. Maybe it was her magic. Or maybe it was something else. She didn't know. Right now, it didn't matter how she knew, just that she knew. Deep in her heart, she could sense the pain Nik felt. She could feel it as clearly as if it were her own pain. Even after all this time, the death of his brother still caused him immense grief and guilt. She wasn't sure why he felt so guilty. But she also knew now wasn't the time for that conversation.

"Why would I have a vision of a dead man?"

"Finn isn't dead, angel. Remember the daggers I was telling you about? This," Kol pointed to the silver knife, "is one of them. I have mine with me. Rebekah is in her coffin and, I assume, Nik has Elijah's."

Nik nodded. "I do."

Bella nodded. She was less concerned about the dagger's location and more interested in why she was having visions of brothers one and two.

"Why am I seeing them?" She asked. "And why do I feel a connection to them?"

Nik sighed. "Your Nan seems to think it's because you're also mated to them."

Bella's head snapped up and she looked over at Nik. "What?" She shook her head. "No. I can't be mated to all four of you! That's ridiculous! I can't have four mates. I don't even know what to do with two!"

Despite the words that came out of her mouth, she knew, deep in her heart, that what Nik was telling her was right. She felt it. Even from this distance. Even never having met them. She knew. They were hers.

Nik smirked. "I'd be willing to keep Finn in his box and dagger Elijah if that'll make you happy, love."

Her eyes widened. "No! That would not make me feel better, Niklaus!"

He shrugged. "It makes me feel better . . ."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, of course, it makes you feel better. You get to be Mr. Stabby and put your siblings into magical comas for decades!"

Nik grinned. "I'd be willing to share if you'd like to dagger one of them, love."

Her first instinct was to decline his offer. She wouldn't be daggering her mates. She figured that's what Nik was expecting her to say. So, instead, she went with. "Hmm. Well, Okay. Maybe if they misbehave."

Nik's eyes widened in shock.

Kol's whole body went rigid at her side as he stared down at her with wide eyes.

"Where are Finn and Rebekah?" She asked, not paying much attention to her mate's reactions.

"New York."

"Do you know where Elijah is?"

Nik sighed. "Last I heard, he was in Europe looking for a way to kill me."

Bella's eyes narrowed. "Why would he want to kill you?"

"Well, I might have told him I dropped our siblings into the ocean and he'd never see them again."

She sighed. "Oh, for the love of Christmas! Niklaus! Why? Why would you tell him something so horrible?"

Nik shrugged. "He was getting on my nerves . . ."

"So, is that what I should expect when I get on your nerves; a dagger in my heart?"

Their reactions were instant.

A snarl reverberated through Nik.

Kol hissed and pulled her closer to him as if he thought she needed protection.

"Never!" Nik growled, gently taking her hand in his. "I would never harm you, Isabella. I could never hurt you, my love."

Taking a breath, she leaned into him, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. "Elijah is your brother. He's important, too."

Nik leaned into her touch. "Not as much as you, my love. You are my soul. There is nothing more important than you."

Kol huffed and shifted closer to Bella, wanting her attention, too. "Just tell him we're all alive, undagger Rebekah, and he'll forgive you." He shrugged. "Typical Lijah. He's always looking for a way to save your soul, Nik."

Bella smiled. "So, your soul needs to be saved, does it?"

Nik smiled and leaned forward to press a soft kiss to her forehead. "Not anymore, love. It's safe with you now."

"Good," she smiled. "Then you can call your brother and invite him here. I'd like to meet my third potential mate."

Nik growled.

Kol chuckled.

"He wants to kill me!"

"And for good reason," she said calmly. "If Elijah wants to kill you because he believes you dropped your siblings into the ocean, essentially murdering them, then you'll just have to prove you didn't." She looked over at Kol. "Do you think speaking with you will be enough to convince him not to kill Nik? I'd rather neither of you had to fly to New York to retrieve Finn and Rebekah."

"It'll have to be," Nik stated.

"We aren't leaving you, angel," Kol promised.

─── ･｡ﾟ: *. .* :ﾟ. ───

"Four!"

Charlie stared at Bella like she'd grown another head. Without taking his eyes off his daughter, who sat at the other side of the dinner table, he reached for another scoop of macaroni and cheese.

"Four?" He asked again, with a frown.

Bella nodded. "Yeah, Dad. I have four soulmates. And who knows," she shrugged, "when I meet Rebekah maybe she and I will mate, too. I'm sure she's a total hottie."

Charlie's eyes almost bugged out of his head. "You think that's possible?"

"Who knows?" Bella shrugged, trying to keep the smile off her face. "I guess anything's possible. I could wind up mated to the entire Mikaelson clan . . ."

"Oh, fuck me," Charlie whispered.

Marie appeared next to Charlie, setting another beer on the table for him. "Breathe, Charlie," she instructed. "And you," she turned her dazzling blue eyes on Bella, "stop teasing your father."

Charlie's head snapped up. "What? So, she's not mated to four men? It was all a joke?"

"For now, Dad, I'm mated with Nik and Kol. We won't know anything else until I've met Elijah, Finn, and possibly the gorgeous Rebekah."

As a low growl came from Nik, Nan scooped more mac and cheese onto his plate. "No growling at the table, dear."

─── ･｡ﾟ: *. .* :ﾟ. ───

After making the most delicious, fudgy browns with Nan and Seth, Bella made herself comfortable on the sofa, curled up between both her mates. She offered them brownies, which they took happily.

"Have you ever had beignets?" Nik asked, his voice soft.

She shook her head. "What's a beignet?"

Nik smiled and gently pulled her into him. "Long ago, when our family lived in New Orleans, three French nuns came to us looking for a fresh start. They marched right into our courtyard and presented Elijah and me with these rather lumpy-looking sugar-coated pastries. Well, needless to say, we were entranced. We set them up quite well."

"Why did they come to you?"

"Because there was a time when we were regarded as royalty in the French Quarter. You might even go as far as to say I was King, which would make you my Queen."

"Ah, young love," Damon sighed. "And what is a Queen without her King?"

"Well," Bella smirked, "historically speaking, more powerful."

For just a moment, everyone stared at Bella in shock. It had been a long, long time since she'd found anything to laugh about or make a joke. Charlie looked shocked by her statement. Then Seth burst out laughing and Kol joined him.

For a little while, it was nice to laugh and forget their troubles.

─── ･｡ﾟ: *. .* :ﾟ. ───

A little while later, the boys began discussing how to safely remove the parasite from Bella's womb without risking her life and turning her.

"So, wolves can't become vampires?" Seth asked, looking up from where he was setting up a movie for them to watch.

"No."

"What'll happen if a wolf is turned?"

"They'll go rabid and die."

"But what if they haven't become wolves yet? Like if they haven't—what did you call it?—triggered the gene?"

Nik smiled. "If they survive the transformation into a vampire, upon their first kill, they'll go rabid and die."

"Well, what if they just never kill anyone?"

"Impossible," Damon answered. "Every vampire kills. Especially in their youth."

Seth frowned. "But Nik didn't go rabid . . ." his eyes widened. "Or did you?" He asked. "Did you go rabid and then your family had to find a cure to save your life?"

Nik chuckled. "No. I am the exception to the rule. My siblings and I were turned with a spell."

"Oh," he breathed. "So, why not just do that to Bells, and then she'll be just like you . . ."

"It's an option," Kol pipped up, "if that's what Bella wants, but we'd still need the Original Witches spell book. And a key ingredient to the spell is doppelgänger blood. Nik's been searching for the doppelgänger for five hundred years; finding her now would take a bloody miracle."

Nan looked up from her grimoire. "Doppelgänger blood is necessary for the spell?"

Kol nodded. "To turn us into vampires, the Original Witch used the blood of a Petrova doppelgänger. For the spell to be successful in turning Bella, we would need another Petrova doppelgänger."

"Huh. I never knew that," Nan said softly, a frown gracing her face. "And it's doppelgänger blood you need to break your curse, Nik?"

"Yes," he nodded, staring at the white-haired woman. "Do you know something I should know, Marie?"

Bella looked from Nik to her Nan.

"Before I answer that, tell me this, the spell to break your curse, does it call for the doppelgänger's death?"

"Yes," Nik replied.

"But nowhere in the spell does it say her death must be permanent," Peter added. "In fact, according to my knowledge," he tapped his temple, "it would be better if we found a way to ensure her life before asking her to sacrifice herself."

"Why?" Nik growled.

Bella shifted closer to him, brushing her fingers against the back of his hand. "You can't ask this girl to sacrifice her life because you want to break your curse."

His eyes narrowed. "I wasn't planning on asking . . ."

"Well, maybe you should consider it," Bella replied lightly. "Better yet, put yourself in her shoes. How would you react if some stranger came to you demanding you sacrifice yourself? Would you just lay down and let him kill you?"

"Hell no," Seth replied, starting up the movie.

"Exactly," Bella agreed. "You'd run. Hide. Or fight back. What idiot just accepts they're going to be sacrificed for someone they've never met and have no ties to?"

Turning his dark, murderous glare on Peter, Nik seethed. "I blame you for this."

"I told you this wasn't going to be easy," Peter defended himself. "I told you, you need to learn to trust other people and accept them into your life."

Kol rolled his eyes. "Hell will freeze over before my brother trusts anyone but himself."

Ignoring that statement, Bella shifted against her mate's side, pressing herself further into him as she laid her head on his shoulder.

She knew trust would come in time. It couldn't just be handed out willy-nilly. Nik needed to know, needed to see, that she would not allow him to be hurt. Nor would she ever hurt or betray him. From what she's learned so far, those he's closest to tend to betray him, which is what likely led to his trust issues and paranoia. She hoped that, in time, he'd see that she would never hurt him that way.

But, she knew, that would take time. And she was more than willing to give him that time if he was willing to, at least, be open to accepting her love.

For tonight, there was nothing she could do. Or, at least, nothing she could think of that might help. So, she chose, instead, to snuggle with him and enjoy having her mates close to her. Even if one of them was seething in his silent rage.

Seth started the movie and sat on the floor by Bella's feet, leaning into her legs to keep her warm. As the trailers began, the boys returned to discussing ways to save Bella.

"Bells," Seth whispered.

Bella shifted against Nik, lifting her head from his shoulder to look down at Seth. "Yeah?"

"Once you're healthy and the demon baby has been taken care of, could you do something for me?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Find a way for me to be human again," he said softly. "I don't want to be like Sam and I'm scared that being a shifter will change me. I just want to be normal . . ."

There was so much sadness in his dark eyes that Bella would've agreed to anything at that moment. "I'll see what I can find. But it might take a while. I don't know the first thing about magic."

A brilliant smile lit Seth's face. "That's okay, Bells. I can wait. I know you can do it. If anyone can, you can! I believe in you."

She smiled and reached down to kiss his cheek.

She was lucky to know someone as kind and compassionate as Seth.

"Thank you," she sighed happily. "You're a great friend, Seth."

He smiled happily. For the first time since Leah disappeared, he felt like he belonged somewhere, somewhere he could be safe and loved.

─── ･｡ﾟ: *. .* :ﾟ. ───

Halfway through the movie, the guys were still quietly chatting when Bella's cell phone buzzed with an incoming text message.

Kitty Kat: Just started watching Supernatural tonight!

Bella smiled and tucked her phone back into her pocket. But a moment later, it buzzed again.

Kitty Kat: Oh, wow! Their mom is a total hottie!

She waited a moment and then burst out laughing when another message popped up.

Kitty Kat: Shit! I didn't mean that literally! O.M.G!

"Something you'd like to share, love?" Nik whispered in her ear.

"Uncle Mason and his girlfriend, Kat, have just started watching Supernatural."

Seth smiled. "That's the best show ever! Did you watch season four?"

"Yeah. I was watching it when Uncle Mason and Kat came to visit. I guess Kat was hooked so now they're watching the first three seasons."

Seth leaned closer to Bella. "Did you see the last episode with that bitch Ruby? I always hated her. I knew she was up to no good!"

"I know! I liked her more when the first actress played her . . . what was her name?"

"Katie Cassidy," Seth nodded.

Bella nodded. "When this new actress started playing her, I knew right away she was going to double-cross poor Sammy."

"I know!" Seth nodded. "It felt like the second Ruby was a whole different character. Katie Cassidy played her so well and this new girl comes along and wants to have sex with Sam?" He frowned. "Ewww! No. That's just not where I saw the relationship going when Katie Cassidy played Ruby."

"At least Dean had great angel sex . . ."

"That was so much better than Sam and Ruby . . ." Seth shuddered.

Bella nodded in agreement as her phone again began to vibrate.

Kitty Kat:Aw. At least Sam turned out okay. And he has a hot girlfriend! She kinda reminds me of their mom.

"What did you think of the angels?" Seth asked Bella.

"I love Castiel! But that Uriel is a real dick!"

"I know! But I have to admit, I think I prefer him to Zachariah . . ."

"He was an awful, awful angel! But I think he's supposed to be a villain, not a good guy. He plays it like he's a good guy and then in the end you find out differently."

"Like that whole, the angels wanted to start the apocalypse thing?"

"Yeah. Though I'm pretty sure not all the angels wanted to start the apocalypse. Castiel seemed to be against it and trying his best to stop the seals from being opened."

Kol leaned closer to his brother, frowning. "What are they talking about? Is there an apocalypse coming and nobody told me?"

Nik shrugged. "I have no idea . . . I haven't heard anything . . ."

Kol looked over at Bella, who was trying not to laugh. "What are you talking about? I'm feeling left out . . ."

Bella laughed. "It's a television show called Supernatural. It's about . . . well, the supernatural. Two brothers . . ."

"Dean and Sam," Seth added.

Bella nodded. "Uh-huh, Dean and Sam hunt and kill demons and other bad monsters. Season four just ended with the arrival of Lucifer."

"I can't wait to see the next season! I wonder what Lucifer will be like . . ." He gasped in excitement. "We should get the DVDs and have a marathon so Kol and Nik can watch, too!"

Again, Bella's phone buzzed with another message.

Kitty Kat: O.M.G! NOT JESS TOO!

It was followed a moment later by another message.

Kitty Kat: It's been one episode and already two people have been brutally murdered and fried to a crisp.

Bella laughed.

Bambi: Just wait, this is only the beginning.

Kitty Kat: I can't wait!

─── ･｡ﾟ: *. .* :ﾟ. ───

– La Push, Washington –

"Where have you been?" Sue Clearwater demanded as soon as Seth walked through the door.

"Out."

"Out where?"

"Just out . . ."

In his recliner, Harry shifted. "Answer your mother, son. Where were you?"

With a sigh, Seth turned toward his mother. "I had dinner at the Swan house. Nan made barbeque ribs with homemade macaroni and cheese, corn on the cob, Caesar salad, cornbread, and baked beans. For dessert, Bella was craving brownies, so Nan showed me how to make them from scratch. You know," he mused, "I enjoyed cooking with Nan, maybe I'll become a chef . . ."

Harry's eyes widened. "You will not! Cooking is women's work." He looked Seth up and down, a frown creasing his brow in distaste. "Then again, you are a little fruity . . ."

Seth's eyes narrowed as he began to shake. "Just because I enjoyed baking doesn't mean there's anything wrong with me. This is the twenty-first century, Harry . . ."

"How are Bella and Charlie doing?" Sue asked, interrupting the argument she could sense coming.

"What?" Seth frowned and looked over at his mother, ignoring Harry who was starting to turn red in his anger.

"Billy told me Bella's boyfriend just left town . . ."

He nodded. "Yeah, she was devastated at first, but," he shrugged, "she's doing better now."

"I'm sure Charlie's thrilled the Cullen boy has left," Harry smirked, settling back into his chair.

"I should take them a casserole or something," Sue mused. "I'm sure with all the upset Bella isn't taking proper care of her father . . ."

"Nan's there," Seth said, watching his mother as she began to pull ingredients out of the fridge, "she's taken over the kitchen. I doubt Charlie will starve. Besides, he took care of himself for years before Bella moved in, I'm sure he's capable of making a sandwich if he's hungry."

His mother wasn't listening. She was contemplating making more than one dish. "Billy told me Bella hadn't been to school, the poor thing. She's come down with that stomach bug on top of her first heartbreak . . . perhaps I should send over some chicken noodle soup . . ."

"No!" Seth said, a little too loudly. "No. Uh, Bella can't have chicken anymore . . ."

"Why ever not?" Sue asked, looking concerned. "She had fried chicken the last time she and Charlie joined us for dinner."

"Uh, yeah, but now she can't have it . . . One of those, um, aversions . . ."

Sue frowned. "I don't think I understand, sweetheart."

"You know, pregnant women have them," he explained. "She can't handle chicken anymore. Nan was going to make fried chicken and it made Bella so sick that she changed the menu to ribs . . ."

Sue stared at her son as Harry shot out of his seat. "Bella is p-pregnant?"

"Umm," he frowned, "yeah?"

Sue paled and sank into one of the chairs around the breakfast table while Harry puffed out his chest. He knew that girl was going to bring nothing but trouble. This proved it. She spread her legs for a filthy leach and got herself impregnated by their spawn!

"How far along is she?" He demanded.

"Uh, I-I don't know," Seth shrugged.

"Who's the father?"

"I don't know."

Losing his temper, Harry grabbed Seth by the collar and gave him a sharp shake. "What do you know, boy?"

Sue's eyes widened but she didn't dare move from her seat.

"I-I don't know anything!" Seth insisted, trying to pull himself out of Harry's tight grip. As the fear overwhelmed him, he forgot he was a shifter and far stronger than Harry. As the man he'd always believed was his father looked down at him with disgust and outrage clear on his face, Seth was nothing more than a fourteen-year-old boy.

"Lies!" Harry roared. "You were there all day! Now, tell me!" He shook Seth again, hitting the young boy's head against the wall. "What do you know!? Does that girl have anything to do with Quil, Embry, and Jared's disappearance?"

Even in his fear, Seth realized Harry hadn't mentioned Leah. But then again, he shouldn't have been surprised. She's a female, after all.

"Of course, she doesn't! Bella doesn't even know they're missing. Klaus didn't want to worry her . . ."

Harry's eyes blazed. "So, that's where the leach is staying. He's probably used his mind tricks on Charlie! All to get close to his devil daughter! I knew we never should've invited that vermin onto our land! What was Billy thinking when he asked for his help?"

"He just wanted to find Leah . . ." Sue whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.

Harry turned his glare on his wife. He dropped Seth, who crumpled to the floor and went to go after Sue but Seth shot up and moved to stand in front of his mother.

"Stay away from my mom!"

Harry smirked. "You gonna make me, fairy boy?"

With that, Seth's eyes narrowed and darkened. As Harry stalked toward him, intending to hit the boy, Seth let out a low growl and pushed Harry away. The man went sailing through the kitchen, crashed into the wall, which crumbled around his body and landed in a heap in front of the lit fireplace.

"Never," Seth snarled, "touch my mom again!"

"Oh, my God!" Sue cried, jumping to her feet. She turned on her son and slapped him across the face. "How dare you hurt your father!"

As his cheek stung, he stared back at his mother in utter shock, watching as she raced over to her husband. She climbed through the rubble of the wall and knelt beside their abuser. His stomach churned and bile rose in his throat as he watched her fuss over the man who—not even two minutes ago—was intent on hurting her.

Unable to watch, he raced toward his bedroom and slammed the door behind him. He went straight to his closet, grabbed his school bag, and tossed all his books onto his bed. Then he stuffed the backpack with a few changes of clothes, toiletries, and a few keepsakes he didn't want to be without, as well as Leah's teddy bear. She'd want that when he found her.

With a bag packed, he left his bedroom to find Sam in the living room, waiting.

How the hell did he get here so fast? I was gone like five minutes!

"What happened here, Seth?" The older boy asked calmly.

"None of your business," Seth sneered.

Sam looked the boy over and a smile pulled at his lips. "You transitioned. When?"

"Like I said, it's none of your business."

Across the room, Sue gasped. "You shifted? B-But when? Why didn't you tell us?"

"Why would I? It's not like any of you ever tell me the truth. Or was I not supposed to find out Billy Black is my real father and you all think me becoming a wolf will somehow cure my sexuality?"

Sue tried to say something but she couldn't get the words out.

"News flash," Seth continued, "I shifted weeks ago, and, guess what? I'm gay. My wolf is gay. And neither of us has any interest in changing that!"

Sam looked over at Harry and Sue. "There's no need to worry," he assured them, his voice calm. "Once he imprints . . ."

"I'M NOT GOING TO IMPRINT!" Seth yelled. "I want NOTHING to do with girls!"

"He's young," Sam insisted. "He'll grow out of it and when he imprints on a nice girl, we will never have to talk about this again." He turned to Seth then. "Now, I think it's time you were officially initiated into the pack . . ."

"No."

Sam's eyes widened as Harry and Sue gasped. "Excuse me?"

"I. Said. No!" Seth spoke slowly. "I'm not joining your pack. I won't be initiated. I'm not getting a tattoo. I'm not going out on patrol. And I'm certainly not, ever, going to bow down to an abusive, woman-hating, narcissistic, dunderhead like you! I'd rather kill myself than ever call you Alpha!"

"So be it," Sam sneered. "You either join and bow to your Alpha, or I'll take it as a challenge and beat you down!'

Seth stared back at Sam in shock. He hadn't been expecting that. He didn't want to fight him. He didn't want to be in his pack, either. Why couldn't he just leave? Was there a rule that said he had to join?

"No," Seth shook his head. "I'm not fighting you. I have nothing to prove."

A low growl came from Sam.

"Sam," Harry called, "enough. We have more important things to deal with than him." He turned his eyes on Seth. "If you refuse to join the pack, that's your decision. You can leave. But if you walk out that door, you will not be welcomed back into my home. You will no longer be my son. You'll be a lone wolf. On your own. Without protection."

"But if you stay, you'll be safe, sweetheart," Sue added quickly. "You'll be home with your family and your pack. You'll be among your brothers . . ."

"Not in my house, he won't," Harry sneered. "No son of mine will fornicate with another man!"

"And if you think Billy would think differently, you're wrong," Sam added with an arrogant, gleeful smirk as if he'd already won.

"I'm aware of how bigoted and homophobic the lot of you are. Thankfully, it's not something that runs in the entire tribe, just the pack." Seth grabbed his coat from the hook by the door. "And I have no interest in staying someplace I'm not accepted for who I am."

"You won't find shelter on this reservation, boy!" Harry yelled. "I'll make sure of that!"

Seth turned back to the man he'd believed was his father. He wanted to say something meaningful and profound, but he feared whatever came out would just be hurtful and he didn't want the last words he spoke to them to cause pain. So, instead, he took one last look at his mother and then left. There was nothing more for him here.

AN: If you didn't read the bit in La Push, all you need to know is that Harry Clearwater is an abusive father and husband. He's homophobic and calls his son awful names. Seth packed a bag and left his home. Sam tried to get Seth to join the pack but he refused.

And, though he didn't mean any harm, Seth did end up telling his mother about Bella's pregnancy, which Harry overheard. That's probably going to be a problem.

Let me know what you think! I love reading your comments. xoxo