Since I was only in school part time, I came home and started cooking for Tuesday's pack meet. I made cookies and mini muffins and sandwiches cut into small triangles. I wanted to make a good impression on the pack. Usually I hung out a little bit during pack meets, then got back to whatever I was doing when they went on their run. But today was my day! Well, mine and Seth's.
Some guys started piling into the back yard. I went out back to greet them. It was Jake, Embry, and Quil.
"Leah!" Embry called, "it's so cool that we have a girl in the pack. I hope you're just the first of many."
"You're an idiot," Jake said coldly. "She's the first ever. This isn't the beginning of a new trend. It's a bad omen."
"Did your dad say that?" I asked, a little jolted by the idea that someone thought I was a bad omen.
"No, Old Quil said that." Jake looked me in the eye and he looked mad. "He said that your arrival in the pack came with a death, which was the first sign. And then you are female, the second sign, an abomination."
Ouch. "Old Quil said all that, huh? And what did your dad say?"
"My dad is full of crap." Jake was looking into the woods now, like he was looking for someone.
"What did he say?" I asked in the alpha timber. I didn't even mean to. It just came out.
"He said this was the dawn of a golden age for the pack and the tribe."
"And you are choosing to believe Old Quil over your father?" I asked.
"Yes," he said, straightening his back, I think trying to intimidate me. "Old Quil has all those books, the pack knowledge. He is wise."
Sam's voice came booming into the back yard. "Jake is a decent fighter, but he is not the brains of this operation, Leah, as you've already seen." He kissed my cheek. "So we're waiting on Seth and Jared?"
"Where's Paul?" I asked.
Paul came out of the house with a sandwich in each hand.
"Oh yeah," I said, "Sam, I made snacks."
"For the pack?" His eyes were bugging out.
"Yeah, I thought it might soften things."
Quil spoke up. "That's really nice of you Leah. Embry and I can carry stuff out."
Sam whispered, "they'll eat us out of house and home. I wish you had asked first."
"Asked for your permission?" I said, raising my eyebrows.
Jake let out a low whistle.
"I didn't make any for Jake." I said quickly, already sick of that kid.
Sam smiled at me. "Well alright then, we're on the same page." He put his arm around my shoulder.
Quil brought out the sandwiches and Embry brought the cookies and mini muffins. Paul ran into the house and carried out the table.
"Nobody touches it until Seth and Jared get here," Sam demanded.
"We're here!" Seth called out as he and Jared emerged from the woods.
"All right, everyone but Jake can have one of each to start. Your benevolent alpha made them for you," Sam said. He squeezed my shoulder, then grabbed two of each, giving one of each to me.
Jake scoffed.
"Thanks Sam!" Seth said enthusiastically.
"Not me, kid, your sister," Sam said.
"She can't be alpha!" Jake spat.
"She gave you an alpha order two minutes ago, Jake," Embry reminded him.
Jake held his shoulders high and said, "Old Quil says I'm the rightful alpha and I'll rise up and take my place when I'm ready." Most of the guys laughed. A few looked nervously at Sam, afraid of his reaction.
"That's hilarious," I said. "Old Quil should go on a comedy tour. I didn't know he was so funny."
Sam chuckled and everyone relaxed a little. Everyone continued eating snacks while Jake scowled at us.
"So Sam's still alpha too, right?" Seth asked me in a whisper.
"Yes, we are the alpha pair. He is the alpha male and I am the alpha female."
"So cool," Quil muttered.
Again, Paul looked jealous.
"And Paul is beta," I added.
"I am?" He was grinning.
"He is?" Sam asked, raising one eyebrow at me.
"You should have done it ages ago," I stated plainly.
"So you unilaterally did it?" Sam asked, that one eyebrow going even higher somehow.
"Yes. You guys need a little shake up. You don't have these boys in line, Sam."
"Other than Jake, I do."
"Jake's the weakest link!" I burst out. "He's simping for a leech lover! He should be the most in line."
Paul was nodding to everything I said.
"I thought we'd be a united front," He whispered to me. Everyone could hear him.
"But you questioned my snacks," I replied in a hushed tone that everyone could hear. "You started it." I looked up at him and he had those hungry eyes again. How was this a turn on for him?
"Yes," he said firmly, "Paul is beta. It should have been done ages ago. Another issue my wonderful wife had brought up is the state of the trails. They are so worn down. They look like walking trails."
I added, "The worst spot is the meadow near the beach. Step one is to stop making the trail so prominent. Leave the woods at different points along the edge of that field. Stay off the existing trail for that stretch. Step two is to destroy the path that is there. We can leave the meadow path because it looks natural enough, but let's plant a shrub at the entrance of the forest. Or transplant some blackberries or something. Or both."
Sam was nodding along to my suggestion. Then he said, "we've never gotten two new pack mates at the same time, and none of you have ever been present for the birth of an alpha. It is an exciting time but also a serious time. There must be a dangerous threat, the way that our numbers are ramping up, so we'll be going into the national forest today. We'll familiarize Leah and Seth with the old Cullen scents and show them the vamp trails that have us concerned."
Jake spoke up. "One of the Cullens came back. She took Bella. Er, Bella went with her willingly. It wasn't a kidnapping or anything. But they might all be coming back."
"Shit, Jake, when did this happen?" Sam asked.
"Yesterday."
"Do you know where they went? Why do you think they're coming back?"
"She took Bella to save Edward." Jake explained. "That's all I know. So either Edward dies and they drop her off even more broken than before or she saves Edward and they all come back and she is the hero." He sighed sadly, "the hero to vampires."
"Ouch, Jake," Embry said compassionately. "Now I feel bad we ate all the snacks. No wonder you were grumpy."
"Ok, we should phase and run," Sam said. "I'll take Leah in to change in the house. We'll be just a minute."
Sam walked me into the house. I started to strip to phase. Sam got on his knees and lifted my naked thighs onto his shoulders, holding my lower back steady with his hands. He started sucking on my clit and he was working like a pro.
"God Sam, that feels so good. Oh wow. But we don't have time for this."
"We absolutely do," he said, standing up while sliding me down his chest until his cock was deep inside of me. "They need to know you're mine."
"Ah! Sam! Ah god! So good! They know! Holy shit, wow! We're married! Aaargh!" He was doing that grinding thing with his hip more than he was actually fucking me. He was making me scream. He was so good at this! When I orgasmed, loudly, he fucked me so hard and so fast it would have looked like a blur if I didn't have my wolf senses. I'm sure it would have hurt too, like rug burn.
He pulled out just as he was coming and squirted all over my stomach, something he had never done before since I was always on birth control. He took the jizz and quickly spread it around my stomach and back and ass and boobs and even spread a little on my neck and face.
I just watched him curiously. What the fuck was he doing? At least his jizz smelled good. That wasn't the case before I was a wolf.
"They need to know you're mine," he said again when he was finished. He had a smug look on his face, like he was really proud of painting semen all over my body, like he had accomplished something special.
"Ok, baby, if you say so." We'd talk more later. We really didn't have time right now.
I stepped out the door and phased. Sam was right on my tail.
SPOVEven as a wolf, Leah was a sight to behold. She was about a foot shorter than me, six inches shorter than the other guys. She had an even gray color, as smooth as my jet black. The guys who were gray were all mottled but not my Leah. She was flawless.
Now she reeked of me and I loved it. They had all been eye fucking her, even Jake. I didn't blame them. She was so hot and the appeal of an equal, a woman like us, I knew the draw to her. I felt it constantly. But they had to cut it out! She was mine. Although I'd love to, I couldn't spend all my time fucking her to prove it.
Entering the pack mind was chaos. They were all speculating about what I had done to her to make her scream like that. That detail had backfired on me spectacularly.
FOCUS ON YOUR BREATHING, she said, YOUR INHALES AND YOUR EXHALES. ALL OF YOU! She didn't make it an alpha command but there was a twinge of danger in her tone. Their thoughts of us were muffled.
One voice came through the muffled thoughts with a clear request. It was Seth, my little buddy. SAM, CAN YOU DO THAT BEFORE WE GET HERE NEXT TIME? THIS IS A NIGHTMARE.
Leah immediately ran to comfort him. I'M SORRY SETH. IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN, RIGHT SAM?
I'M NOT MAKING THAT PROMISE, BUT I DID PROMISE LEAH I'D BE CONSIDERATE OF YOU AND I WASN'T JUST NOW, SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. OK?
OK. Seth said. SO WHERE ARE WE GOING?
I took the lead as we ran toward the forest. Leah stayed on my flank. We started by running the border near Forks.
LEECH. I said, coming to a halt.
Jake showed us the memory of the tiny Cullen. IT'S HER. SHE HAD TO GO HUNTING WHILE VISITING BELLA.
I gave Seth a quick lesson on the treaty that we had with the Cullens, emphasizing that we can't kill them.
I UNDERSTAND, I GUESS, Seth agreed.
WHAT'S THE 'I GUESS' FOR? BECAUSE YOU STILL HAVE THE URGE TO KILL THEM? Leah asked.
YEAH, I REALLY WANT TO KILL WHOEVER THIS SCENT BELONGS TO, he admitted.
THAT'S GOOD, SETH. I said. THAT'S YOUR INSTINCT. DON'T FIGHT IT UNLESS WE'RE NEAR THE CULLENS. THOSE INSTINCTS ARE YOUR STRENGTH.
We continued along the border. When we had gone far enough, we started to cut across the forest in a wide arc. Only a few miles in, we could smell an old trail.
THIS IS NOT A CULLEN. I announced.
LPOVThe smell from the trails was overwhelming. It was bleachy but also sweet somehow, like cotton candy. And I wanted to destroy it. I've been known to have a temper but I am not a violent person.
The violent fantasies filling my head were extreme and I didn't even know what these vampires looked like. I used descriptions of the legends and combined them with images of the Cullens to fuel my fantasy and give me something to sink my teeth into, in my mind at least.
THANK YOU, LEAH, Sam said in a humored tone. THAT'S HOW WE ALL FEEL, BUT MAYBE YOU COULD TAKE YOUR OWN ADVICE AND FOCUS ON YOUR BREATHING, INHALES AND EXHALES.
Ha! I was flooding the pack mind with my fantasies. I had forgotten about that.
I DON'T MIND IT. Quil said.
ME EITHER. Seth added.
THANKS GUYS, BUT HE'S RIGHT, I said honestly. THIS ALL GOES A LOT EASIER IF WE ARE NOT FLOODING THE PACK MIND WITH ERRATIC THOUGHTS.
We finished the run in relative calm. I stepped into the house and slipped into my clothes. Sam was at my heels, wrapping his arms around me from behind with definite intention.
"Lee-lee, you were great out there," he said, kissing my neck.
"Uh, thanks, is the meet over?"
"Basically. Some might stick around if they have to talk to me, er us, about something." He was kissing down my collar bone.
"Alright, let's get back out there." I turned around in his arms. I gave him a lustful kiss then marched out the door.
Paul, Jake and Jared were all there, waiting for us. Jared started first. "Leah, I didn't want to bother the pack mind with this but Kim is so excited for you. She says she never sees you at school anymore and she wants to have a get together, the four of us." Jared glanced at Sam to make sure he was ok with this too, then returned his gaze to me.
I looked at Sam. "Wanna do dinner on Sunday?" I asked.
"Yeah, and we can play cards after." Sam liked cards and board games and didn't pass up a chance to play with others.
"See if Sunday works for her, Jared, and let us know, ok? And tell her I miss her too." I smiled at him. Kim was a good friend.
He nodded. "Thanks, and welcome to the pack, Leah. Sam, I have to say I'm so jealous. I'd love it if Kim joined the pack, absolutely love it." Then he jogged into the forest and disappeared.
"Jake, what's up?" Sam asked, trying to hide his annoyance that Jake was still here.
"I'm just really worried about Bella. I know that we're not supposed to be in wolf form in Forks while the Cullens are there, but since they're not there, can I just camp out there until she gets back?"
"Fuck Jake! No. You still have to go to school and do patrols. If Billy's ok with it, I'm fine with you camping out the rest of the time. But that Charlie Swan is no fool. Don't get caught."
"Ok, thank you, Sam." He ran into the woods, almost tripping on a root. He was so excited.
We stood there with Paul. He and Sam were staring at each other silently. They seemed to be having a whole ass conversation with their eyes. I was looking back and forth between the two of them, trying to figure out what the fuck was going on.
Finally, Paul turned to me. "Thank you for speaking up about me being beta, Leah. Your douche husband was too insecure to do it himself."
"Insecure?" If there was one thing I knew about Sam, it was that he was not insecure. I looked up at Sam. He looked down at me.
"He's not wrong," Sam confessed. "I should have promoted him when Jared first joined the pack, but I didn't like the way he…"
"The way I ogled you, Leah," Paul finished. "He was afraid that if he promoted me, you'd see me differently, that you'd respect me, and that I might have a chance with you. He's an idiot to think that, as we both know."
My stomach felt hot suddenly. "Jesus Christ Sam, is that true? You messed up the hierarchy of the pack because you didn't trust me to be faithful? Holy shit." I felt like throwing up. That feeling, he didn't trust me… it overwhelmed me.
I did throw up, right on Sam's feet. Some of it splashed on Paul. I didn't care.
"And that shit with your jizz," I said, then spit the last of the vomit from my mouth. I was still bent over. "Did you think I'd fuck the whole pack if I didn't smell like you?"
"No, Leah! It wasn't like that at all. It's not about my trust in you, not exactly, it's my insecurity, I just… the pack and Paul, they're two separate issues. I never thought you'd willingly fuck the pack but they're big guys and I wasn't thinking clearly. I just needed them to know that you were mine. They were all lusting after you and they needed to know you were mine. And with Paul, I wasn't worried you'd fall in love with him. I was just worried he'd seduce you."
I stood up tall but didn't look at either of them. I turned and walked away. "Fuck you, Sam. Congrats on being beta, Paul." I called over my shoulder without turning around.
"Thanks, Sam," I heard Paul whisper as I approached the house. "Maybe she will fall in love with me now." Then I heard the distinct sound of Paul's nose being broken by Sam's fist.