Aurora Borealis

by Star-Of-Radiance

Bella's 'perfect slice of forever' slowly unravels, piece by piece. Months after the confrontation during Breaking Dawn, all the devastating consequences of crimes, both forgotten and overlooked, reveal themselves, and the criminal trials and sentencing of Edward Cullen and the Volturi unfold- along with its equally devastating aftermath. Think carefully before you choose to act...

57. The Luna's Story

"People pay for what they do, and, still more, for what they have allowed themselves to become. And they pay for it simply: by the lives they lead."

James Baldwin

In the aftermath of the Cullens leaving Forks, even if anyone could still take joy in their now-permanent departure, there was not a single person who felt like rejoicing.

It took a while to straighten things out. But straighten it they did, or at least, what seemed to be a tentative peace had settled among their small, close community, which now fully included Charlie who was completely in the know. That was a good thing, even though it seemed like everybody avoided talking too loudly, getting rowdy or being so happy and optimistic in case things didn't work out as well as they'd hoped, and the fragile peace was broken. Or, for that matter, being so upset and pessimistic, or even appearing that way for fear they may summon a severely dangerous cloud of depression over anyone else and trigger any of the profoundly shell-shocked imprinters and their imprints, or soon-to-be-ex-imprints, into breaking apart, going over the edge and doing something drastic, like killing themselves, running away or opting for a forced soul-link without the other person's consent. Quite shockingly, even the humans who didn't know about the legends being real or anything that had happened in recent years appeared to sense the tension and the fragile peace, comparable to a brief ceasefire between warring armies. Or maybe it was because the Wolves had started to avoid even glimpsing any regular humans for fear of imprinting so there was considerable distance between them, and observing but not truly understanding why that was, the fully human Quileutes appeared uneasy. Either way, the entire population of La Push appeared to be holding their breaths.

Leah now stood at the entrance to Quileute lands, waiting to officially welcome the Vermont and Appalachians Alphas and their entourages formally into Quileute lands. Even though they had already stepped into the territory that had formerly not been protected by the Quileute Wolves for as long as the Cullens were there, according to the treaty, meaning since the Cullens' departure, the Vermont and Appalachians Packs had already entered Quileute territory, they still had to get the official introductions underway and become acquainted with each other as well as forming an official alliance.

Those that knew did not mention the recent discovery of Embry's true paternity. While they were aware that it would likely come out into the open someday, as of the moment, not even Sam, who was currently indisposed, was aware of the true identity of Embry's father. And somehow, Leah sensed that the Vermont and Appalachians Alphas and Luna, along with Gabrielle, would keep their word.

Speaking of Gabrielle and Sam, the latter of whom was conspicuously absent since the former was overseeing the soul-link on the request of both Sam and Emily, just as she had already done for Paul and Rachel who were still recovering. Not to reverse the former couple's bond, unlike the latter, but to ensure that if Sam and Emily did ultimately decide to part ways both would be able to leave and move on with no further hindrance from the other or themselves.

As soon as Jacob was confirmed to be on the road to recovery and bound for Canada, Sam had slipped away. No one had seen him since, including Emily. Jared and Paul- his Beta and Gamma or Second and Third- each by now engulfed within his own individual turmoil as an imprinter, were too shaken with their own internal shock and realisations to notice that Sam had gone, as they normally would have, like when he had attacked Emily. It was understandable, especially for Paul: Rachel had made her feelings devasta6tingly clear. And Paul had no choice but to accept it.

It was a startling thing. But after looking in Quil's direction and receiving perfect, countless assurances that not only will he imprint again, but he would love the other person at least as much as Rachel, although it was far more likely he would love her more especially if they bonded together, and he would not be compelled to make the same mistakes (unless he had a serious but separate problem with possessiveness and control that required copious amounts of therapeutic aid, like Jacob) which made him agree, albeit with reluctance and heartbreak. Besides, Rachel did not wish to be with him and after being made aware of and forced to accept what he did to her, what Jacob did to himself and Renesmee and the truth about their imprint connection as well as Sam and Emily's, the broken and remorseful Paul found himself agreeing to a soul-link in order to reverse the imprint-bond and the damage done to himself and Rachel, and to prevent anything drastic from happening because he was compelled to do it. Guilt, devastation and shame overwhelmed him to such a degree that Leah worried he was going to need therapy, regardless. He probably should. Charlie and Mom were right; it was for the best.

Leah had searched the woods along with members of Sam's pack. It took some convincing but Jared- who was torn between worry and fear for his friend, along with comforting Paul and his paranoia and anxiety over a potential heartbreak of his own should Kim decide to do something while he was away- had finally been convinced to leave and search for Sam. No doubt he'd been swayed because Leah's mother had firmly pointed out that part of why Rachel and Renesmee both wanted out of their imprint-connections, and to be as far away from their imprinters as possible, was because they weren't even permitted their own space and autonomy. She also claimed that if Jared didn't trust Kim not to do anything on her own which involved the two of them as a couple or allow her any form of autonomy to do and be wherever she liked and with whoever she liked, or simply left on her own instead of treating her like an individual with her own right to freedom, then Jared sure as hell shouldn't and didn't deserve to be in a relationship with her. Her mother's eyes had bored holes into Jared's skull as she said this.

Leah didn't miss the look laden with both gratitude and relief that Kim cast towards her mom, even though Kim also cast a worried, fearful, anxiously saddened glance at Jared's direction as he retreated out the front door.

Finally, they had found Sam. Or rather, Leah did. To her shock and amazement, Sam was in the exact same place where he'd found Bella after she'd been dumped by Edward in September, almost two years ago.

Leah had crept silently up towards Sam, both in their Wolf forms, and waited for him to acknowledge her. After fifteen, twenty minutes, Sam's ears began to twitch, his bones seemed to stiffen beneath muscle, sinew and fur. His eyes slowly narrowed, and when Leah didn't react Sam instead growled and bared his teeth.

She was completely unfazed, simply glancing at him coolly and shooting him a look which clearly stated, in the absence of their vanished telepathic connection, that she was not impressed, and was still waiting for an explanation.

Sam's snarl then widened, but his furry shoulders soon slumped. With a sigh that might have come from the grave he slumped back onto the forest floor. Leah also sighed.

After what seemed to be another twenty or thirty minutes- maybe even an hour or so- Sam phased back to his human form, uncaring of the potential awkwardness of being naked in front of his ex-girlfriend who was now revealed to be his cousin.

"Why are you here?" He demanded.

Leah, quite frankly, also didn't care that either of them were naked, either. So, she phased back.

"You know why I'm here." She had informed him coolly. Sam gave no response to her nakedness apart from his eye twitching. "I'm here because Emily's fiancé is behaving like an ass and leaving her to go nuts with worry for fear of his life while he indulges in his self-pity and misery by doing the exact same thing Bella Swan did when he found her two years ago in September, in the exact same place."

Sam's jaw clenched. His fists curled and uncurled. Leah wasn't the least bit intimidated.

Instead, she told him what she'd said to Emily. Sam seemed to hesitate.

Good, Leah thought. At least he knew his self-indulgent, miserable pity-party wasn't going to help.

"So, are you going to go back and give her the explanation she deserves?" She crossed her arms, still nonchalant about her own nudity and his.

Not just nonchalant: Leah and Sam had seen each other naked- and more. But it no longer affected her. And quite frankly, they were no longer hormonal teenagers. But the horrifying awkwardness and discomfort of knowing they were cousins also had to be shoved to the side, at least temporarily.

"Or are you just going to leave her hanging?" She'd challenged Sam. "Like you did with me?"

Shame and guilt crossed Sam's features before he turned his face away. "It's not like that."

Leah's eyebrow rose. "You sure? 'Cause it sounds exactly like that. Only this time, you have no excuse, no reason to leave her hanging. Unlike me then, Emily's in the know. And she at least deserves to know whether you've decided to chicken out and run away from her with no explanation again- but heck, I don't even think you know why you're staying away from her at this point-" Sam's shoulders first stiffened when she accused him of being a coward and then slumped. "-so, the very least you could do is go back to her and apologise before thinking and talking things through and deciding together what you guys should or want to do next instead of running away without saying a damned word and leaving her to fall apart on her own." She said coldly.

Sam seemed to both simultaneously cringe and hunch over in shame.

Leah sighed, exasperated. "Go back to your house Sam and find some clothes. The three of us need to talk." Her voice brokered no room for argument, even though they were now technically equals.

And he did. And the three of them, plus Jared and Kim who Leah asked to stay and listen while occasionally joining in the conversation, had a good long talk. After a while, Sam and Emily agreed; they were going to stay and make things work as best as they could and see where this would lead them. It was almost the same as before except that Sam agreed and swore not to smother and mollycoddle her. It was one thing to pamper and protect, it was another thing to be smothered. And should Emily suffer any discomfort or frustration, she would make her feelings and opinions clear, and Sam would listen. She would not continue in silence, motivated in large part by guilt, love, fear and shame. The same applied to Sam should he be annoyed or frustrated at anything Emily did. They would not change the other or ignore anything.

After a while, Jared and Kim agreed to the exact same thing. The soul-link performed by both couples were done on mutual agreement by each party and would ensure that Sam and Jared would never be compelled to go through the same extremes as they once had. And should their relationship fail, against all odds? They would be free to move on and, if they wished, find love with someone else. It was the best they could do at that point.

And with this startling turn of events and its conclusion came to Leah another realisation she had not expected; a conclusion which also came to Sam, Emily, her mom, the rest of the two packs, the council of elders, even the Cullens: Leah was more than what they made her to be. She had risen above Sam and Emily and what they did along with the impact they had on her. She had grown beyond the pack's awkwardness, their rejection and ostracisation of her, and being the subject of the rumours and gossip that spread even beyond the tribe and those in the know. She had risen above the weight of their perception of her and all the expectations that shackled her to it, that kept her prisoner to them... and to herself.

Because, it felt like above all else, Leah had risen above herself. Her heartbreak and love for both Sam and Emily, their betrayal and later the frustrations and anger that she could not even be righteously angry at either of them and their seeming accomplices; her guilt, shame and grief over her father and how she'd treated him along with everyone else, hormones, heartbreak or otherwise, same as her accidental part in his demise; her resentment over being chained to and forced to glimpse, overhear and endure Sam's thoughts and feelings about Emily along with the pack spreading the word about her. She felt like she'd been chained and imprisoned for so long and was suddenly now free, breathing the fresh air and seeing the sun, moon and stars for the first time.

Now, Leah stood at the border of Quileute territory, flanked by Seth, Quil and Embry. Her mother stood to the side along with Billy and Old Quil.

As Leah stood there, the first female Alpha or Luna of the Quileutes, she was fully aware of how far she'd come. Above, the stars were shining and seemed brighter than ever. She wondered if her father was looking down at her. And Taha Aki. And she wondered if it was her imagination, or whether she really could sense their approval? Their smiles?

Their pride?

Or was this wishful thinking? Maybe Taha Aki and Dad would have been upset with Jacob's issues, but even though Dad would certainly have been devastated, Leah could scarcely believe just how much the tables had turned.

Fate had swiftly turned things around to such a degree that neither Leah nor anyone else could believe how much and how far it had been for almost if not every single person, especially the ones like Edward, Bella and her mother Renée, who all looked like they had it all in spite of every ounce of pain they'd caused to everyone else, and who appeared to be on the path of gaining even more... only to be brought down so far and so low, they practically came crashing. Everything or almost everything they'd built their entire lives and happiness around were gone. And yet the opposite applied to those who appeared to have received the short end of the stick, like herself, Charlie and Embry, all of whom now had reason to be at least cautiously optimistic and earned something to compensate for all the crap they'd been forced to deal with, when it was shoved to them both by fate and the ones they loved. Even if they faced an uncertain future and possible challenges that required some adjustments and adaptability.

Mere months ago, Leah was the outcast of the whole pack. She was the odd one out, the one who never fit, the one who no one wanted or pitied or both. The bitter ex who hated and resented everyone for being happy. Emily and Sam were the happy ones with a bright future, along with Kim and Jared, Rachel and Paul, even Claire and Quil and Jacob and Renesmee. Even Bella and Edward. They were the ones people looked up to and wanted to emulate. The ones whose situations people believed were ideal. Now?

Now, she was the leader of the pack. A Luna or Wolf-Queen. Everyone looked to her. Taha Aki had chosen her. Embry had a father he could be proud of that wasn't Joshua Uley, and his mother not only learned the truth and accepted him whole-heartedly, but she also learned that the man who had been the father of her child did appear to care about her after all and was a good person. Claire and Quil were free and happy to do what they wished separately, even if Quil had to lose her and his initial dreams of their future first. Edward Cullen was in jail and sentenced for banishment not long after that, and his epic romance and marriage to Bella had ended, even if he had yet to learn that, months before their first wedding anniversary. The Volturi monsters that tried to invade had finally been brought to justice and vanquished. Jacob and Renesmee's status as soulmates were not only proven false but hollow, and the rest of the imprint-couples' were put into question. Jacob was scheduled for mental health treatment at a therapy centre and had lost his status as Alpha. He was unlikely to ever return, even if he wanted to. Renesmee wanted nothing to do with him and had already left, finally free to live her own life in the way she wished. Rachel was determined to be there for her younger brother along with Billy, but she was equally determined to end things between her and Paul so she could live a life of her own choosing despite her renewed commitment to her family. Sam and Emily were weighed down with guilt and shame, as well as the all-encompassing, overwhelming horror that for all they had been crazy about each other- so crazy they had inflicted a great amount of pain on the ones they loved, not just Leah, but their friends and family including Sam's mother- what it was for might have all been in vain. Yet there was a chance they could recover from all this and, who knew? Maybe come out stronger than before. If they chose to be with each other freely, rather than coercion or because some built-in instinct forced them to in order to prevent inbreeding, maybe this could make all the difference in the world: choosing to give your heart freely rather than being forced or coerced by anything.

Or maybe their relationship had been damaged because it had been tainted by the knowledge that Sam had gone after her because he was too closely related to Leah and that they had been compelled and resigned to be estranged from their families and friends who had disapproved of their relationship, all because they genuinely believed this was what destiny had in store for them. Who knew?

Leah's eyes met those of a Wolf with a pelt that was unique: white as snow. This Wolf was smaller than the males, slimmer, more agile; clearly female. Leah had only clearly seen Vivian in her half-form, despite having practice sessions with Vivian present, also in her Wolf form. Mostly, she was focused on trying not to get crushed by Gabriel's overpowering bulk and superior strength. But she recognised Vivian from her eyes.

The other Luna Wolf smiled. Leah smiled back.

Gabriel was in his human form, striding forwards with a confident gait. Her pack-mates and Sam's immediately feel his aura. Some of them looked awed, and many were lowering their heads and backing away instinctively, before catching themselves and blinking to snap out of it. Leah was certain James of the Appalachians had the same aura and presence. But she wondered why Sam- apart from his natural charisma and the authority he had as a leader- and Jacob didn't. Maybe it took a while, after all, compared to these guys Sam, Jacob and her only phased recently. Or maybe it was because their species hadn't evolved as much as the others' and were still currently in the process of expanding their gene pool. She wondered- feeling a bit guilty- whether including pure humans in said gene pool may help expand it first before evolving but may have also delayed the natural process of evolving at least a little bit. It would explain why Gabrielle mentioned their evolutionary process as being sporadic and unpredictable, lacking in constant natural progression. Leah eyed Billy. Was it even possible for Wolves to get diabetes? Would Billy have been relegated to a wheelchair and her father suffer numerous problems and had that heart attack because of his cholesterol levels and shock of seeing Leah phase if the two of them had phased? Could Sarah, Jacob's mom, have survived the crash? Could Wolves survive that? Would her daughters have stayed and phased?

Leah didn't know. But a part of her sensed that instead of treating this like a burden, something to dread and to fear, maybe, just maybe, they would have been much happier if they'd embraced it. Accepted themselves. She could never undo all the damage done to her family. But she could make sure it never happened again.

Leah took a deep breath and stepped forwards.

Billy wheeled himself forwards and Sue and Old Quil also stepped up. "Alpha Gabriel of the Vermont Wolves, Welcome to La Push." Billy said cordially, extending his hand. Gabriel took it with a smile.

Her back was turned, but Leah could sense her pack-mates and Sam's awe and astonishment at seeing other Wolves. Hearing about them, even seeing their pictures, was one thing. Seeing and meeting them in person... it was like nothing they had imagined.

For the longest times, apart from the Cold Ones, the Quileute Wolves had always believed themselves to be alone. As much in danger from the outside world they were sworn to protect as they were from the vampires. Their nearest neighbours, the Makah and the Hoh, were, in times back when they believed and were still aware of the supernatural, feared the Quileutes due to their powers of astral-projection and shape shifting. They had kept the secret, but only as far as the Quileutes did not harm or threaten their tribes, or else they would not hesitate to inform the whites of the federal authorities. For centuries since before Taha Aki, the Quileute Wolves had always stood alone and always believed themselves to be alone; never relying on or truly trusting anyone else to be close to them, unless they were imprints or parents who never phased. Until now.

"Thank you. We're all very glad to meet you." Gabriel shook hands with Billy, Old Quil and Sue. And- as in agreement to keep the conversation involving Embry and everything else a secret- shook Leah's hand. Leah felt a momentary twinge of guilt for deceiving her pack-mates- and the other Quileute Wolves- into thinking she'd never met the Vermont and Appalachians Wolves before, but knew it was necessary.

The first meeting and the practice fights they'd had- which Gabriel himself had insisted on his pack-members keep silent about- were also a strictly guarded secret, since despite their good intentions, even in regards with stopping them imprinting on underage children, it could be interpreted as outside interference, particularly one done before an official alliance was made, even with the authorisation of the council of elders. Especially since they were helping a contender challenge a reigning Alpha. Helping Leah, no matter the reasons and the desperation behind them- and even if it ended in something good- in preparing her for her battle against Jacob, could be misinterpreted and taken rather badly.

Even worse, this could mean setting a future precedent for this sort of thing. Precisely what could end in a civil war which no Wolf species could afford without simultaneously decimating and exposing themselves to humans and likely ensuring the extinction of their kind.

Leah wasn't sure if she wanted to keep more secrets from her pack-mates. She sensed, and secretly decided, to share not only her memories of that information but also her thoughts and feelings behind them, to show them that no one was acting out of self-interest here. At least not on her part. While Leah fully embraced the role of Luna now, she had not wished to become one. She did not wish to bring Jacob down, especially to such a low level, and to act as a catalyst or a means to ensure Jacob lost everything, even if she wasn't solely responsible for his suffering. She did not wish to gain power. Not even being accepted and respected by her pack-mates and Sam's could have motivated her to do what she did because it just wasn't worth it. Yet what she did was necessary; for everyone. But keeping secrets like this from one's own pack... well, Leah didn't want that. It felt like betrayal, and she remembered what that felt like, as regrettable, reluctant and unintentional as it had been on the parts of both Sam and Emily, and as okay as she was with them now.

Jacob's face floated on the forefront of her mind. She'd done enough betrayal for a whole lifetime, no matter her reasons why. Maybe Jacob would get something positive out of this and might even end up happier than he would be if she had just let things be, but it was still too heavy a price to pay for anyone.

Gabriel faced her. "Luna Leah," he extended his hand in greeting.

"Alpha Gabriel." She answered, taking it.

Leah thought it was a miracle that suddenly, despite taking on the authority and leadership role of an Alpha and after what seemed to be for so long, her shoulders felt a million pounds lighter.

It was then that they stood around a bonfire: Vivian, the female members of her pack, Leah, her mother, Kim and Emily who had recently recovered from her soul-link. Her newly flawless skin, seamlessly healed and made healthy by Gabrielle's cream, seemed to glow. And was it Leah's imagination but did her cousin's shoulders appear lighter, like she'd cast off a million-pound deadweight? Either way, while she looked a lot better.

"You're probably guessing why I asked to meet you away from the rest of them." Vivian began.

"A little," Leah confessed. Vivian nodded solemnly.

"I understand. But I felt it was important for females to stick together. Since your species only recently had the first female and ruling Luna emerging and might have some more, and you-" she nodded to Kim and Emily "-are new to this world and what is going to be expected. But you are a part of this nonetheless or you're going to be- unless you decide otherwise."

The emphasis was barely heard but felt. The fire snapped and cracked. Leah poked it with a stick and Vivian tossed a couple of twigs in.

"It took a while for me to accept my role as Luna," she confessed "even longer than it had for me to accept my part as Gabriel's mate. That was an accident; it wasn't supposed to happen." She sighed.

"It's best if I explain the whole thing: my story." Vivian admitted. "You probably know by now that my ancestors came from France. We were the Gandillons. A few members of our family took the blame and were tortured and executed to give the rest of the pack time to escape when a Lycanthrope- a werewolf who could infect others and turn them into one of their own- killed a child in France during the 1500s. The rest of our family and our pack fled and settled in the Americas, getting continuously kicked out and fleeing once every few centuries whenever some rampaging, barbaric idiots can't control themselves. At some point, we intermarried with another species who fled from Germany, and the pack today is a product of both species merging together and evolving into a single one. I was born in West Virginia Hills where my family ran an inn and a ranch," Vivian explained "my father Ivan, was the Alpha."

Silence ensued. Vivian sighed momentarily, half-closing her eyes. The light from the flames cast a golden glow across her lightly tanned but fair skin and the glints of gold in her tawny hair. "We'd lived in peace there for centuries until 1996. That was when we lost everything, the only home we had ever known and any semblance of our previous lives, and I lost... my father."

Vivian took a deep breath. Leah straightened. Her eyes were wide.

"Axel, one of our teenage boys, had been acting wilder and wilder the previous spring. He and his gang had been talking more and more about crazy stuff: midnight visits to towns where they stalked humans in the shadows and scared them silly. What they did sounded funny. They were kids after all. So was I." Vivian took another breath. "I was in love with Axel- or at least I thought I was. I was fifteen then. I wanted them to take me too. But then rumours started going around in school. People were getting nervous. So, I suggested to Axel and the rest of the gang that maybe they should cool it. But they only laughed."

Vivian's blue eyes were distant, far away. Reliving old memories and maybe, just like Leah, wishing she could jump into them, back in time, and do things differently.

"Then Axel started to go off by himself. Without his gang who had always been present and seemed to revolve around him as their leader. It didn't feel right. I started feeling anxious. Something seemed wrong. I didn't know what it was or why he was behaving like this, why he'd suddenly seemed to stop talking, any more than I had any hard evidence, only suspicions and not about anything specific." She shook her head in aggrievement. "Having a crush on Axel made me an idiot. I'd seen them spinning out of control and I hadn't done a thing. I knew I should've told my father about him and the rest of them, regardless of whether I'd be in trouble myself. But hey, you don't squeal on your friends, do you?"

She scoffed angrily. Vivian snapped a twig in half and threw it into the flames.

"I was a kid. Fifteen. That was how I thought. To think... that one year later I would've been considered of age in our society." At this, Leah had to interrupt. "What?" She asked incredulously.

Vivian nodded. "Loup-Garoux physically mature faster than humans. Surely you've discovered that?" Sue and Leah blinked.

"We did." Leah admitted. "I mean, there are a lot of teenage boys in both packs who physically appear to be in their twenties, but... surely mentally it's a different thing?"

Vivian grimaced. "Can't agree more. But Loup-Garou females start puberty earlier than the males. Similar to how human adolescent girls get their growth spurts earlier than the boys, which is why their men are taller than the women: they start it bit later, even though they were still growing before they did. At sixteen, the boys of our pack were considered kids, not legal adults. Certainly not eligible to partake in any official fights and duels, but me? I was considered eligible to be someone's mate."

Leah, Emily, and Sue all recoiled, and Kim looked disturbed.

"Of course, these days no one would ever think of such a thing," Vivian assured them. "I told my daughter that I'd kill her if she ever married and mated at sixteen and there's no question about anybody doing it before. But even last decade, things were different. Attitudes, the way they viewed things... Some things were seen in a more romantic light than it would be today, even by humans." She paused, frowning. "Like stalking. And having sex at sixteen with a grown adult. Otherwise, when Gabriel later made that alibi about us doing it when I was sixteen and he was twenty-four when I got into a tight spot, the police would've undoubtedly arrested him. Instead, they gave us a pass."

Leah and the others didn't have time to blink before Vivian continued, "It might be considered distasteful. Same as teenage boys having sex with much older women. But it wasn't seen as something wrong. Already people are changing, humans, Wolves and everyone else. But-" she waved a hand "-I'm getting ahead of myself. To go back on track, I was a dumb, idiot kid at fifteen, well, fourteen when it began, but still. The night of the Valentine Day's dance at high school, Axel murdered a human girl."

Emily inhaled sharply. Leah felt her eyes widen in shock and horror, same as her mother and Kim.

"I can't help but think it was for a petty reason," Vivian confessed "like she'd rejected him and his advances. Back then, people also seemed to act like going after a girl who'd already told you 'No' was romantic, even when she said it multiple times. Rejection was supposed to fuel the flames. But it was equally likely to be an accident. Our kind..." she sighed, rubbing her eyes wearily. "Some people, particularly the kids who're in the onslaught of puberty, or those in the midst of ecstasy or if they let their passions and temper get the better of them... well, Loup-Garoux can take a harder hit than most humans. What could've been a bruise or a scratch or slap mark on one of us, inflicted by another, would undoubtedly be fatal to a human. They could've been arguing and she could've slapped him too. Not that's an excuse for violence and abuse or anything, but back then it was also considered less harmful and not abusive if a girl slapped a guy than if a guy did it to a girl. Some people still think the same these days. Axel could've lost his temper and retaliated after they had an argument, and she slapped him or stomped on his foot. But it's no excuse. And there's even less of an excuse about what he did after he killed her."

"What did he do?" Emily breathed.

"Well, he definitely phased as he killed her." Vivian spoke grimly, her eyes steely blue lights as she recounted the experience. "So he must've been changing back when a classmate saw him crouched over her body. Before Axel- who I suppose, was probably still in shock over what he did to even register anyone else being there- could do anything, the boy had run and reported him to the police. He knew who Axel was."

Sue, Kim, Emily and Leah all inhaled sharply. Her mother's hand was on her heart.

"So Axel's gang decided to help." Vivian scowled furiously. "To cover up the crime, Axel suggested to Rafe, who acted like his second-in-command, that they kill another girl while he was in prison. Which," she said, her gritted teeth showing her fury "they did. They didn't let me know about their plans, 'cause they were certain I'd not only object I'd report them to my father and the rest of the pack, and they would've been stopped. My father was furious but we needed to get Axel out of jail so he could be dealt with according to pack law and the rest of us could be kept safe. So the family lawyer pleaded that it must've been impossible, surely the wounds found on those girls matched those of an animal attack. The new killing also proved it. Axel must've merely discovered the body, panicked and ran. The case was dismissed and when Axel returned home, he was brought, along with the rest of his gang, in front of my father and the other members of the pack. Our kind have no prisons. No walls and chains to keep us in and punish us. We're not like those rich packs in the Appalachians or the Crescents under the leadership of the Labonairs, who actually have jails and temporary holding cells specifically for invading outsiders and members who have transgressed. In packs like ours, there was only ever one penalty for the crime of murdering innocents and endangering the rest of the tribe, risking their exposure: death." Vivian's voice was flat.

"My father executed Axel with a single neck snap. I couldn't save him, but I pleaded with my father to give the rest of them a chance: they were just kids, like me. The only reason they killed was because Axel made them and because they were afraid for the safety of the whole pack. Surely that meant something?" She shook her head, not because she regretted saving anyone's lives, but at her own naïveté. "So my father made them beg for the forgiveness of the Moon and made them run the Trial of the Fang- a test to see if they could merit a second chance. They would all run in fur down a narrow path while the rest of the pack chased them. If any of them were caught they were killed. They licked their wounds for weeks but there were many who said my father let them off too lightly." She sighed. "Perhaps my mother was right: he was a gentle soul at heart. He didn't want to hurt or kill anyone."

Emily and Kim's faces twisted in sympathy and Leah felt like she understood. After all, with the exceptions of those attacking newborns who had already killed so many and posed a threat, Leah had never killed anyone. And that was only in the heat of battle, and Victoria had already taken those kids' lives anyway, when she took them from their homes, their families and the futures they might've once had and indoctrinated them to become foot-soldiers and that it was okay to prey on innocent humans, only to sacrifice them as a diversion when she wanted to get to Bella. But executing someone? Leah knew a number of Alphas, not just Taha Aki, had done the exact same thing whenever one of their own committed an unthinkable crime, like murder. Now, she felt sickened when she suddenly understood that, as Luna, Leah might have to do the same thing to one of her own pack-mates someday, if they ever did something like that.

It was horrifying. And she prayed to Taha Aki that she would never have to.

"But someone from town believed the witness' tale about a wolf that turned into a human boy, and late one night in May-" Vivian's voice hitched, her throat seemed to tighten, and her eyes shimmered with unshed tears "-our inn, ranch and its outbuildings all burst into flame in six different spots and the smoke rose and hid the moon. We evacuated as many of the pack's families as we could while my father and some others stayed behind to battle the blaze. But it wasn't enough. My father and those who didn't make it out in time were killed-" her voice tightened to a close momentarily, and then resumed "-and the rest of us fled from West Virginia hills, the only home we'd ever known, until we arrived as refugees in Maryland's suburbs: five families left, many with dead family members, like us, plus a few assorted individuals all crammed inside my uncle Rudy's run-down Victorian house in Riverview."

Leah was stunned into silence. The rest of their audience's eyes were massive.

She sighed. Vivian rubbed her face with her hand. "I should've told him. To this day, I should've told him even before Axel or the others had killed anyone, even before I knew what was going on." She whispered. Tears ran down her face, but Vivian brushed it away. "Even before I knew it might be a big thing. But I didn't: because it didn't look too serious in the beginning. And I never guessed that Axel and Rafe could've done... all this. If I had, would those girls, my father and anyone who'd died still be alive?" She shook her head.

"I'm sorry," Leah said quietly "but you were a kid then."

She felt more than just a jolt of sympathy for Vivian: it seemed Vivian, like Leah, blamed herself for what had happened, particularly for her father. And then her whole life had changed. She seemed to have lost everything. At least Leah hadn't lost her home or the rest of her family, but she felt like she'd lost her friends, and she certainly lost Emily and Sam, along with her place and standing in society when her reputation became that of a bitter shrew. Still, she felt more sympathy for Vivian's struggles than her own. However, she felt something else: admiration and respect. It might've been because Vivian was still standing, and she seemed like the kind who fought. Not the one who wept snivelling apologies and curled into a ball, crying because of her own shortcomings and how others now hated her, the way Bella Swan seemed to have done. Vivian seemed to be a fighter- and eventually, a winner.

Vivian nodded grimly. "Kids have to grow up. And I know I did. But that was just the start. Eventually, the house became less packed when the others found jobs and places to stay until it only held me, my mother and Uncle Rudy. Surprisingly though, without a clear leader, the whole pack seemed to go crazy. My mother included. She'd just lost her husband, and she couldn't cope with the pain. More than half of the pack were dead-" Leah, Sue, Emily and Kim's eyes went wide as they heard this "-and no one seemed to know where their place was. Everyone was fighting. Our survival depended on us blending in while we organised and decided where we would move and settle for good, but at any moment it seemed like the pack was going to explode in a ball of flying fur." She sighed. "We needed to leave. And as Loup-Garoux, we needed a leader- badly. But we couldn't decide who."

Leah blinked. "I thought... that anyone with the Alpha gene-" but Vivian shook her head.

"This was before we met Gabrielle Delacour, who was a ten-year-old girl in the magical human side of France at that point." Leah blinked. When did Vivian say that happened again? In the nineties? She looked as youthful as the Cullens, but was Gabrielle really that young? But she had no time to calculate when Vivian continued, "And no one knew about the Alpha gene from our species, at least not yet. It was also before we were connected to some of the richer packs as our allies and had a means to support ourselves so we could at least get access to a Loup-Garou-run lab or something. How're any of us to know who carried the Alpha gene or not? Most of us, myself included, had never even heard of it by that point. Of course, Gabriel had the traits." She sighed wearily.

"So we had no choice but to carry on, day by day, minute after minute. Week after week. I heard my mother crying constantly and inconsolably by the open window, waiting for someone who would never come home again... though we lost that too."

A spasm of pain entered Sue's features and shot through Leah's heart as both relived the memories of Harry's loss and the days afterwards. Even though Leah knew her mom put up a brave front for the sake of her children and the rest of her family, and her friends, Sue nonetheless felt pain and the absence of Harry every single day.

"The same time next year, my junior year had started, and I was enrolled in public school. I had begun eating almost regularly and my mom had found a job as a waitress at Tooley's, a local dive. I was no longer exhausted by the time school finished and the work seemed to make more sense. But I felt isolated; alone.

"Back in West Virginia hills, I always had someone." Her face and voice briefly reflected her pain. "I had my dad. But I was never so alone. We were somewhat isolated. The inn and ranch were miles away from the nearest town, but the pack were free to be ourselves. But we were never starved of human contact either, since we relied on them as our customers, and we needed the necessities of human living and school. But I started feeling lonely and miserable. Gazing longingly at the groups of kids laughing together around the flagpole after school ended. At first, I thought it was ridiculous. Why would I make friends with people who would kill me if they knew what I was? What if I give myself away? But the yearning and the loneliness didn't go away. It was then I realised I didn't know how to make friends." She confessed.

"I'd grown up an only child. My parents had other kids, but... miscarriages and all. Loup-Garoux are prone to that. Also, our babies don't always survive birth. Having no access to Loup-Garou-only hospitals for our kind and specialised treatments and equipment for our babies also does that. Our pack was never as wealthy or safe-guarded as the Appalachians or the other packs who have entire settlements populated and dedicated solely to all-Wolf communities." She said grimly. "Not like the one in Canada," she said meaningfully, looking pointedly at them as they remembered where Jacob was going. "Or the Crescent Pack of New Orleans back before they were cursed and lost the Labonairs. We were a relatively small pack, a community of our own but although we got along well for many generations before we lost everything, there were still some tight spots, and our low birth and fertility rates were always a serious cause for concern.

"But back in West Virginia, I always had the pack around me. The pack had plenty of families, so there were always pack kids. I never had to reach for company, company was always there. But most of these kids were either killed or had gone away with their surviving parents, living in separate dens while we tried to figure out where we would go next. Others had moved away and left the pack- for good." Vivian's voice was flat.

"There were only five families left. Many of the kids were small, elementary age or preschoolers. Some were babies. Axel- and now Rafe's gang were still there, of course. The Five, they called themselves. They'd picked up a new member once Axel was killed. But I couldn't bear to be near them, not now, not after all that happened." Leah's insides twisted with sympathy once more. "Besides, we couldn't just be friends now. I was the only eligible female; I'd recently become an official adult as a Loup-Garou female. They all saw me as a mate, or a potential mate. Someone to fight over and win. If I was nice to one of them, the others would sulk and snap. It was a chore just being around them."

Now, Leah grimaced. That she could fully understand. Even in Sam's pack, despite her generally being seen as a harpy, there were others who felt the same. Before she'd phased, people were crazy about her in school and some still were.

"I wanted other friends," Vivian confessed "but no one seemed to want me. I didn't know why groups of girls stopped talking whenever I approached them in school. Why they answered me with tense openings and curt sentences whenever I tried to start a conversation. I knew I was a good-looking girl- the Five howled for me. But I never imagined that humans would find me too intimidating, and in the cases of these girls, a threat. It was only later when I heard my date's mom confess to her husband that I might've been too 'sophisticated' for her son." Vivian snorted.

Leah could see why anyone would think that. She tried to imagine some random kid, a teenager, bringing her home to introduce her to his parents as his new girlfriend. Vivian, who must've already looked like grown supermodel by that point, was only sixteen and was probably dating a regular high schooler.

Again, Leah remembered Gabrielle's explanation, how when she mentioned that the Wolves seen on the photos in their human forms, looked like they could've been professional models or celebrities that their inner metabolisms and body structures had something to do with all of this, which was why not only did the ridiculous amounts of food they consumed on a regular basis at every meal and snack time never seemed to show like it would on a human, even if they didn't require more nutrients. Even their regenerative abilities had something to do with that. Now that Leah could remember, she never had any problems with acne or even sunburns on the surface of her complexion. Not even before she'd phased and stopped menstruating. Was her body preparing for it, even then?

"Boys always seemed to nudge each other when I passed," Vivian continued "but while I could understand why one or two of them would stammer and blush whenever I talked to them, there always seemed to be shy ones. Where were the bold ones? Male or female, these human kids resisted me. Could they see the forest in my eyes, the shadow of my pelt? Were my teeth too sharp? It's hard not to be a Wolf." She sighed while her audience blinked.

"I missed the mountain slopes where I was born, where humans were far apart and the pack were close, and I never had to pretend." She sighed again, wistfully. "I told myself that I didn't care; I didn't need humans. I had the pack and soon, we would be moving far from this place. But I couldn't fool myself: I did care. The pack were in shreds, and we were living in very close quarters with these humans, at least by our standards. I was Wolf-kind in the midst of these humans which made me an outsider and unwanted. I thought they might like me if they got to know me." Her smile was wry. "Gabrielle told me she once felt the same way."

That was certainly true, Leah thought. She could imagine how anyone would feel intimidated next to Vivian and Gabrielle most of all. Even the Cullens. Personal insecurities, which teenagers were prone to, not to mention threats to steal their thunders and shadowing them during the rare moments each teen found themselves in the spotlight. Rivals who would take away the attentions of whoever they secretly crushed and obsessed on. That wasn't what shocked her.

What shocked her was the implication that Vivian was comfortable with being Wolf-kind. That she was completely at ease; even embraced it- she had never known another life. Leah had already discovered that on her first visit to Vermont and the pack's inn, but Vivian seemed to rejoice in and enjoy being a Wolf-girl the way Leah had hated and rejected herself, her own body and how it changed in every way, even while in her human form. How she longed to be different, to be a human, like any other. And even though Sam treated them fairly, he had resented the Cullens' presence for triggering him to phase and turn his world upside down, causing a great deal of emotional and mental stress, fear and anxiety, forcing his entire life and future to change and wishing he could've taken that scholarship and started a life, and not broken Leah's heart and cost him his relationship with his mother when he had to choose between her and Emily, even though he completely embraced Emily and saw her as his one and only, his entire world. How Jacob had wished for the same thing, resented his very nature, the loss of his normal life, same as all the others. This was completely different. Vivian had never known another life apart from being a Wolf, she never had another nature and all her friends and family, her entire community were the exact same species and felt the exact same way. It never even occurred to them to want to be human, Leah thought. Vivian probably never even considered it.

"But then I saw him: Aiden. A boy who wrote poems about werewolves that intrigued me. Who seemed fascinated by their mystery and power and who, maybe, wouldn't be afraid or repulsed if he found out what I was." Vivian hesitated. "He must've heard some legends from someone, because he was able to refute and understand the differences between Hollywood's version and reality, Lycanthropes and Loup-Garoux. At first, I suspected he might've been a Loup-Garou himself, but no, Aiden was a pure-blooded human. He seemed sweet, though. And shy. And wondrously kind, artistic and creative." Vivian's eyes turned sad. "So I was happy to spend time in his company. I felt drawn to him, and I accepted his invitation when he asked me out despite my mother's disapproval. She feared for my safety and the rest of ours, just as she feared that I might accidentally reveal myself to him along with the pack's secrets.

"Meanwhile, the pack was restless. There were too many humans, and too close together. We were fragmented but we'd somehow managed to survive by blending and weaving in through their community. But we were feeling cramped and contained, yet threatened with the lives of not only our pack but our entire world should so much as the tiniest whisper reached the ears of the humans. The Five, who were the only teenage males in the pack: Rafe, Finn, Willem Ulf and Gregory, were getting out of control and always there was a risk that those hot-headed, rash teenagers would lose their cool and do something reckless, something impulsive. They weren't the only ones: Rafe's father Lucien had a drinking problem and he'd been that way since his wife, Rafe's mother, had also died in the flames. What if he lost control and revealed himself in a bar one night? We needed to live somewhere where we could afford our own business again instead of trying to scratch out a living in the city. What's more, to my embarrassment, my mother and Ulf's, whose name was Astrid, were fighting over Gabriel, who, like I said, was twenty-four at that time, even though the two of them were in their forties and both had teenage children." She got some weird and disturbed looks.

Leah felt a ripple of unease. It sounded uncomfortably close to the whole debacle with Bella, Jacob and Renesmee. Judging by the looks on everybody's faces, they felt the exact same way. But Vivian paid them no mind.

"I had a thing against Gabriel," she admitted "not only did my mom seem so determined to forget about my dad, like it had been many years instead of just one-" Leah felt that ripple of unease again, and glimpsed her mother shift subtly "-although of course, now I understand she wasn't trying to forget him: she was trying to forget the pain. But I also resented that Gabriel seemed the most likely candidate to take over my father's position as Alpha. Even worse, Gabriel was attracted to me and didn't seem to take a hint. He would often swing by to Uncle Rudy's house where me and my mom were still staying with the excuse of seeing her, when he was actually looking for me. Not that my mom had ever gotten wind of Gabriel's true intentions and who he wanted. She was just giddy he was paying attention to her. It irritated me."

Leah felt disturbed but then remembered what Vivian said about Loup-Garou females. Still, she thought that might've been comparable to how human teenagers were considered legal adults by the time they were eighteen although the reality of their maturity levels was hot topic for debate, as evidenced by many teenage rebellions and their parents. Again, Bella's situation came into mind, not simply because of her fight with and Charlie's lack of acceptance of Edward, but also the fact that they'd married while Bella was only eighteen, fresh out of high school and not even in college. That had been hot topic for gossip and rumours around town, and many people believed she was pregnant. Leah couldn't imagine if someone at that age had done the same thing but with a grown man of twenty-four. People would've been shocked, horrified. There would've been more scrutiny and suspicion on whether the man had sexually groomed the teenage girl into giving her whole life to him.

But if Vivian were to be believed, Gabriel made an excuse that the two of them were having sex as an alibi to a policeman and he not only brought it but never arrested him for it? Leah was dumbfounded. Say what you will about Charlie overlooking Jacob's assault of Bella back then, even though he certainly regretted it. She had a hard time believing that Charlie would ever stand by and walk away if some twenty-plus-year-old man casually admitted to having sex with a teenager younger than eighteen. Values and perceptions really do change over time, she thought, bewildered. In fact, all of this barely took place during the last decade, according to Vivian.

Vivian caught the look on Leah's face. "Sixteen is the legal age of consent in Maryland," she said with a smile "same as in West Virginia and Vermont where we moved to the following year."

"Here too," Sue sighed, breaking her silence. "Doesn't make it smart though." She stated sharply.

Vivian nodded in agreement. "Now, we'd think that. Back then, even during the last decade, it's easily overlooked. In fact, people would think it's romantic. Some people still do- teenagers with crushes on much older men or women, celebrities or teachers. It'll be like a dream come true for many of them, a romantic love story, consequences be damned."

Leah, Kim and Emily grimaced, unable to disagree. Sue winced. "In fact, most people would think it's too young to get married in their early twenties these days, but even during the nineties, it was perfectly fine." Vivian mused. "However, even Gabriel admits that there were some things that he did- along with the Five and a lot of other guys both teenagers and adults- which wouldn't be considered acceptable by today's standards, not by anyone. He did, for example, keep pursuing me and he did kiss me against my will when he tried to convince me to accept him as my mate after he became Alpha." Leah and Sue both jerked back when she said this, Emily looked alarmed, and Kim gaped.

Vivian nodded grimly. "He regrets it. And has apologised and wished he never did it. In fact, he would never do it now, even though we're married. If I don't feel like kissing or if I don't consent to anything, he would never dream about it. It was the first and only time he had ever done something like that and I'm certain that he would never do such a thing afterwards. Least of all, because as Alpha it's his responsibility to not only set an example but to punish any kind of wrongdoing in the pack. I'm certain he respects me, as his wife, as the Luna and as my own person." She stated firmly. "Otherwise, Moon's Pull or not, I would've never chosen to end up with him." She warned. "If he hadn't mended his ways, if he never learned to respect me, we would've never gotten and ended up staying together, 'cause nothing on earth could make me stay with someone who disrespected and violated me." Leah and the others absorbed this in silence.

"It's particularly risky for Loup-Garou because, well, we're more... passionate in our emotions than humans. Our hormones especially are much wilder than those of human teenagers. We're more volatile. How many fights have you seen your pack mates end up in? How many times did they lose control and phased?" Silence. "It's the same for everyone. And I can't lie and say there's no risk or that it's small. It became increasingly clear that our pack needed a leader and we couldn't afford to put it off for much longer. Without a leading Alpha or Luna to guide them, we were restless. Wild. Without clear vision of purpose or direction. No authority who could keep us in check and under control. No one who had the slightest idea of how to lead us to a better future." Leah shifted, slightly uneasy.

"Aiden invited me over to his parents' house. I remember that clearly. His dad was a creep and a pervert, and he was clearly into me and thought I was too gorgeous for his son." Leah reeled and Sue, Emily and Kim all looked repulsed. "I know. His mother thought I was too sophisticated. But there were other things that stood out in my mind: one, surprisingly, for a Goth boy who was into werewolves, witches, tarot cards and the supernatural, he was rather sweet. That gave me hope. Another was when we finally finished dessert, he took me to the bathroom in the basement, I suspected because his mother wanted to keep me away from his room. There was a workroom there. Guns hung on the wall and the workbench was littered with parts and tools. Aiden told me that his dad's hobby was to collect and repair antique guns. He even made his own bullets for some of them.

"I was surprised. I said I didn't think he was into that sort of thing. Aiden told me he wasn't but his dad used to take him out hunting, like a 'real American father and son' were supposed to do. He hated it. He said that it should be more about being with your father or son and genuinely bonding together over something you both enjoy, rather than focusing about killing something, which he clearly didn't." Vivian sighed. "He was right, of course. I can safely admit that, especially now that I'm an adult and a parent myself, you shouldn't force your kids to do or like something you wanted. But I admit, hunting is something Loup-Garoux typically do, and I used to chase and hunt rabbits with the other pack kids. Plus, I'd just lost my dad. I thought I'd give anything to be able to kill something with my dad again, hunt as we used to."

Her eyes turned wistful and sad. Leah tried not to wince. Only now did she fully understand what Vivian was going through. Emily looked saddened.

"Aiden also didn't understand why I was into him. He said, 'You're, like, so beautiful and cool and sure of yourself, I think the kids in school were frightened of you.' I laughed. I couldn't believe it. Frightened of me? These people in school didn't have enough sense to know what to be frightened of when they looked at me. Now I know it was likely because I was naturally confident, comfortable with who and what I was, not just my looks which intimidated other people. I knew who I was, what I wanted. These kids, who dreamed of being models, singers, football and basketball players, and movie stars didn't feel the same way. They were insecure about my looks. But I couldn't care less. I was who I was, no matter what I looked like. I knew who and what I was and that kind of bled into my aura." She smiled wistfully. "I had that sense of purpose, of confidence that kids don't typically have. It overwhelmed them. And Aiden didn't understand how and why I would even bother with the rest of them, any more than the other kids at school did. Or his parents. In hindsight, that was a bad sign: he was insecure, unready to start a relationship with me." She smiled bitterly. "If he was, he might've accepted me when he finally learned the truth. Maybe he felt like he'd won the lottery or caught the moon in his pocket when I showed an interest in him, but he didn't know what I was or what I was looking for. And to be honest, neither did I."

There was more to this story, Leah thought. Vivian's relationship with Aiden clearly didn't work out and, for some reason, the guy who'd repulsed and even assaulted her at one point became her mate. What happened? Vivian mentioned that her ex-boyfriend started ugly lies and rumours about her around school...

"But he thought he might've been my soulmate and he said so," Vivian admitted. "I was surprised because he didn't blush or stammer or try to run away like the others did when I talked to him. I started to think, no, to hope that he might've been the same thing."

"What about the Pull?" Leah asked quietly.

Vivian conceded, frowning. "True. And my species can't breed with humans, either. He was a high school student, thinking he was a part of the real world, along with the secret world of his fantasies about werewolves and witches, the supernatural. Like many teenagers, he already believed he was ready or a part of the wider world outside of school." She shook her head. "They had no idea."

No, Leah thought. Already she could spot multiple similarities and parallels in Vivian's life with hers and Bella's. Leah was also given the cold shoulder by many of the girls in school, and most of the boys were too shy and too jittery to be anywhere near her. In fact, many of those girls were the ones who happily spread the gossip about her, Sam and Emily, to make themselves feel better about their own insecurities and perceived shortcomings when they gleefully heard the news going around the rez. Leah didn't have a lot of friends while in school. It had only been Emily, and she lived on the Makah Reserve. And there weren't many boys who felt confident enough to look at Leah in the face and start or continue a conversation with her without stuttering or blushing. Or running away.

Leah wondered whether the kids in Forks' public high school felt the same way about the Cullens or if Bella Swan, always so insecure, had ever asked herself the same questions as Aiden before she learned that Edward was a vampire and a telepath and drawn to the scent of her blood and the inaccessibility of her thoughts. And even after that when she still believed they truly loved each other, did she ever ask why he picked her? Leah wondered if someone like Bella would ever feel better if someone like Rosalie, Leah, Emily or Vivian whom she'd seen in school had ever had any reason to be in the same place that she or Emily found themselves in and looked bad or lacking in any way because of their personal lives. Somehow, for all that she could once say about Bella Swan, Leah didn't think so. She too was an outcast. But she must've been overwhelmed to have been included by the Cullens and scrutinised by the others who wanted to find out the reasons why this mousy girl who tripped over her own feet, avoided people's eyes, mumbled and spoke only when she needed to, and always hunched her shoulders over and bowed her head so her hair fell into her face. She always looked like she wanted to disappear or latch onto someone bigger like a parasite or a symbiote, and it was hard to imagine that could have ever attracted the attention of a boy who drew everyone's eyes to him as Edward Cullen surely must have done. Or anyone in particular. Admittedly, those traits made Bella very hard to like, Leah thought. Even without the extra drama with Jacob, Charlie and Renesmee. Why else would she have driven herself so desperately to be a vampire if she thought it could make her, in any way, better and more than what she appeared to be, even to herself? To be rid of her own shortcomings? And suddenly, Leah understood how and why it could've been better for Bella and many of their peers to stay away from not only the Cullens but herself, Emily and Vivian. It just wasn't healthy for them if they couldn't overcome envy and personal insecurities.

But if Edward hadn't been a vampire or a telepath and Bella hadn't actively gone out of her way to flirt some information about him from Jacob, would either of them have gone crazy for her? Leah wondered. She knew from Charlie that a whole bunch of other boys were going after Bella, but he noted that not only did none of them seem to last very long- in part because Cullen was too intimidating for them, and when they saw Jacob getting into a standoff with him, the idea of being targeted by the pair wasn't an appealling one- but because Bella didn't hold their attention for very long, especially since she wasn't at all open and welcome to the idea of their attentions, even when it wasn't romantic. She didn't seem to want or be open to the idea of making friends. And after Cullen had dumped her, she'd become unresponsive; first a vegetable and then a zombie for months, all because the boy she dated for six months dumped her. They started whispering and questioning her judgement. Even the most ardent of her former admirers. Even more so when she announced she and Edward were getting married.

At times like this, Leah did wonder just how well not only Bella, but everyone involved in the supernatural in Forks kept the secret. And how Bella was actually preparing to explain her new appearance to them. Just how did Vivian survive?

"And then on my birthday, Aiden gave me a present: a silver pentagram pendant on a silver chain."

Vivian's voice was flat.

"Gabriel told me that the Cullens' species of vampires had developed a reflective barrier on their skin which protected them from the sun," she said "maybe your kind have some kind of protection against silver too- but don't expect it to be infallible. When paired with Wolf-blood, silver burns through flesh like acid, doing more damage than our kind's healing abilities could ever stop. That's why for many of our species silver bullets are often fatal, no matter how slight the wound."

Leah remembered something from Jacob's memories: something which Edward told Bella in front of him. During the confrontation on New Year's Eve, Edward informed the blond-haired vampire, Caius, who wanted war that their kind weren't real werewolves, or 'Children of the Moon' as he called them. Later, once the Volturi had gone away, Bella demanded to know whether real werewolves actually existed, silver bullets, full moon and all, while Jacob snorted and asked whether that made him imaginary. Edward had said that they did, but were increasingly rare, although certainly capable of taking down a vampire in a fight, which was what nearly happened to Caius. He also said that while phasing only during the full moon was very much a real thing, silver bullets was just another invention humans made up to make themselves feel like they stood a chance: like vampires and garlic.

"Silver is safe enough to wear and touch," Vivian assured them "so long as it doesn't touch an open wound. But when your kind is hormonal and temperamentally volatile, fights are common. Many of us prefer to wear gold, just in case.

"It was Lady Moon who, according to legend, gave our kind a double-edged gift: she gave us the ability to change, but also turned her light into solid silver which could kill us if we ever abused our power. Aiden had also given me a double-edged gift," her voice grew quiet. The flames snapped and crackled. "The sign of my people made out of poison to wear around my neck."

Despite the warmth of the flames, a chill seemingly spread through the air. Emily shivered.

Vivian's eyes grew dark. "Rafe didn't like me hanging out with Aiden. He'd already confronted me about it. I saw Rafe one night, when me and Aiden went out to a concert. This wasn't the kind of music the Five usually listened to: light and airy, full of love and dreams. The Five liked thumping, wrenching music that you can grind to. But I saw Rafe. They were spying on me. He came to me one night, after the full moon. We're not like Lycanthropes, we can change whenever we want and we don't infect people, but the closer to the full moon the quicker the change and the less control we had. And on the nights it loomed round and whole, we had no choice: a Loup-Garou, of our species at least, must change no matter what, wherever they are. One night, two days before the full moon, I changed and spent the night in fur. When I woke up, Rafe was there, spying on me." She scowled. "He told me he missed me, and he'd been waiting for me. He didn't understand why we grew apart, why I steered clear of the Five, especially him. Rafe thought I was his girl, even though before everything had happened, I would've chosen Axel in a minute over him. He said I broke up with him because of the girl he'd killed to get Axel out of jail. 'But I bet if you got a sniff of human blood you'd get your muzzle wet.' He told me."

Leah suppressed a shiver. Rafe sounded like a creep as well as a serial killer.

"When the goddess, Lady Moon, gave Wolf-kind the gift to change, she warned the first Loups-Garoux to pity humans for their soft immutable flesh, for Wolf-kind had once been like them." Vivian continued. "'Use your eyes,' the goddess said. 'Look at them and praise my name for changing you; kill them and kill yourselves.' But humans are vulnerable and often acted like prey. Sometimes, they triggered the instincts to hunt."

Leah froze and she could feel the others doing the same. Emily, Mom and Kim had all spent plenty of time with the pack and had been treated as equals and one of them. In fact, she knew that many of them, Jacob included, still thought of themselves as human. As part of their kind. But now, the lines had been drawn. And even though they felt safe and knew they had never been in danger from any of the pack, they all knew what Vivian spoke was the truth. How many times had Leah seen the others phase without knowing it, without being able to control themselves? How many times did she see her pack-mates, both in Sam's and Jacob's now her own, burst into Wolf form and attack just because they were triggered by something stupid? Or for the fun of it? How many wounds did they inflict on themselves, which would have been severely critical if inflicted on a human, but would thankfully heal quickly because they were Wolf-kind? Emily's scars came into mind. How after Sam refused to go and Emily, upset and in anguish after being confronted by her mother and realising she was accepting his advances and becoming attached to him despite Sam having been Leah's boyfriend, lashed out at him, in anguish, pain and horror at her part in the betrayal, upset that Sam was putting her into this situation, making her do this to the girl who was her sister, angry at herself for not seeing this sooner, for giving in. Sam had refused since he knew it wasn't what Emily really wanted, but Emily, still upset, compared him to his father. That triggered Sam. While that would've made any human upset to be compared to their lousy, deadbeat dad, Leah couldn't help but think that a human male wouldn't have lashed out physically when losing his temper: simply shouted and yelled back. Instead, Sam had phased without thinking, without meaning to, and the rest was history. Emily had barely survived.

"I told Rafe we should stay away from humans while we're changed. Rafe said-" Vivian shuddered as he said this, though the Luna's composure mostly remained the same "-'They are ours to hunt. Axel knew. He couldn't hold back any longer. We were losing our balls in West Virginia, Vivian.' I tried to put up a brave front, but secretly, I was terrified. How many of the pack yearned to hunt like Axel? Who else was going to be killed? And how long did we have until we were destroyed? Another night, he pranked me, tricking me into thinking he'd killed a person, even though it was just a dog. Yet I still couldn't shake off the feeling of fear I secretly felt. How long before he actually kills someone? How long did we have until we were discovered? I knew Rafe would've been the first to do something stupid. So, I struck him, and Rafe snarled, 'You think you're different from us, but you're not. We know who we are, Vivian. And we know what we want. We don't run away from it. You're sick, Vivian, if you think you can play human.'"

Vivian shuddered, more violently this time. Leah, Emily, Kim and even Sue did the exact same. If he were a human, Leah thought that Rafe would've been that psycho killer lurking outside college dorm rooms, fraternity and sorority houses, and stalking girls to and from school to rape and murder them before dumping their bodies. Probably used an axe or a rope to strangle them. Maybe he was even capable of dismembering them. Leah shuddered.

She could see how Vivian hated to relive that memory. She was terrified of Rafe, Leah thought. Even though she knew she could hold her own in a fight and that had been years ago. "I was frightened, though I tried not to show it," Vivian admitted "I was also angry at Rafe for daring to suggest I didn't know who I was and that I tried to deny it, deny myself. I love being Loup-Garou. I adore the sweet change and the beauty it brings me in the night. When I do hunt, I hunt wild prey by the laws of the goddess. I don't kill pets or humans for the fun of it." She scowled, angry and disgusted at the idea.

Leah and the others were silent. How many times, she wondered, did Sam and Jared unleash to Emily and Kim how much they wished they were just human? How many times did Jacob do the same to Bella and then to Renesmee? Or Paul with Rachel? It was so different, she thought feeling a pang and a tug in her heart, with Vivian. Leah felt a strange sort of longing, something she had never felt before for something she had never known. Was it for the love and acceptance Vivian felt for herself, for being who and what she was? For being part of a pack, a family who were all just like her and not having to be alone?

"But that following night, around midnight, when I was out with Aiden, I heard a chorus of howls by the river. I froze. Aiden didn't hear it, of course, we'd been far too preoccupied, and he had the senses of a human. But then I also felt a vibration on the ground. I saw a dark mass sweeping through the tall grass heading our way. I pushed Aiden to the ground and ducked. I tried to keep him occupied, thinking we were just hooking up. I knew if he saw what hunted tonight, he would panic and run. And if he ran, he was prey."

Emily shivered. Kim shuddered.

"But the sounds were growing too loud, like a storm approaching. There were many paws. Thankfully, they passed to the right. I hissed at Aiden to stay down, told them they were dogs in packs going wild. There were a lot of them, I smelled each of their scents: Astrid who was in the lead. What was she thinking leading a run this large through the middle of Riverview? I wondered. After Astrid came Lucien Dafoe, Rafe's father. The Five were there as well, but they seemed strangely subdued. Rafe was edging away from his dad, no doubt. Those two had issues. The majority were around Astrid's age, no elders and all males. They went past, racing upstream. Aiden said, 'Wow. For a moment I thought it was the wild hunt - Herne the Hunter chasing down the damned.' But he also said people shouldn't let their dogs run loose at night and that we should call the pound. He seemed to buy my story. I told him the pound was closed this time of night. But it was a close call. I heard someone- a human- shout and scramble down the bank. My heart leapt to my throat, but the pack didn't turn to follow the human.

"I raced back home and told my uncle Rudy. He told me to tell Gabriel. What do you mean talk to Gabriel? I demanded. I was irritated that he seemed to be acting as if Gabriel had already won the Ordeal and was Alpha, had taken my father's place. 'And what do you expect me to do?' He asked. I told him he should stop Astrid. But Uncle Rudy knew better. Astrid wouldn't listen to him, he told me. So why would she listen to Gabriel? I demanded. 'Because she respects him.' He said. 'Because she wants to screw him, you mean.' I retorted. He stared me down in a way that made me feel ashamed. 'She respects him because she's afraid of him. Power's the only thing Astrid understands. She isn't sure how far he'll go. And neither am I.'"

Leah and her mother looked at each other. "Rudy said as far as he could see, Gabriel's the only option we had at the moment. We can't use a leader who ruled with his brains but was unwilling to use his teeth. I demanded to know whether my father, who led with his brains, wasn't a good leader. He said, 'Your father was the best leader we could have had for the time we had him, but this is a time of unrest. We need a leader who understands the power of his jaws.' I was tired of violence, and I was reluctant to go to Gabriel for anything and act like he had the same authority my father had, but Uncle Rudy reminded me that we would've never moved the Five so quickly out of West Virginia if Gabriel hadn't beaten the sass out of them. He was right: Gabriel had shoved them out of the burning and charred ruins of the inn's yard when they were set on waging a stupid, hopeless war against the town. Rafe was knocked silly and the others bloodied, but not a scratch on Gabriel. He threatened to kill any one of them that moved three paces from the convoy going to Maryland and led the arsonists straight to the rest of the pack. He'd strode out smeared with ashes and I hated him for it, even though I would've beaten the Five myself if I could have. My father was barely dead and here was Gabriel, taking control. He wasn't a leader; my father was a leader. He had dignity.

"But Rudy reminded me that Gabriel was the first to get a job when we first arrived in Maryland. He put all his money toward getting others settled while he crashed on people's floors or slept in the woods. So we went to Gabriel and told him, but something made me feel uneasy. I wondered what I'd started, just reporting Astrid and Lucien like that. On one hand, I didn't want a repeat of what happened with Axel and those girls he and Rafe had killed. And it was so evident that we needed a new leader- and fast.

"Even my mother admitted it," Vivian confessed, her lovely face both sad and pained. "When she was remembering him, I said to her that if Dad were here, he would've straightened things out." Her face grew even more pained. Leah felt a stab of sympathy as she remembered how she felt about her own father after he died, how he would've surely had an idea to solve every problem, to keep things under control. "'But he didn't, did he?' My mother asked. 'The inn had burned, people had died, and if he'd lived, he'd be challenged as unfit.'

"'That's not true!' I cried. 'You know it's true,' my mom said. 'In his Wolf-skin he was as strong as any of them, but he was a gentle person in many ways. He'd feel so bad about failing he'd probably step aside for someone else without a fight.' I knew she was right, but for a moment I hated her for her words. 'Maybe Rudy's right.' She said 'We need a different kind of leader now. One who doesn't hesitate to hurt if he has to, for the good of all. But for his time,' she whispered, 'oh, he was the best.'"

The hollow feeling of emptiness and never-ending sadness welled in Leah's insides. She knew exactly how Vivian and her mother felt. Her mom knew it too. The sad, haunted look in her dark eyes spoke echoes of grief and the happiness of a seemingly distant past. Her father was gone, much like Vivian's. And they can only remember the good times, how much better it had been when Harry Clearwater and Ivan Gandillon were alive, and the world seemed safe. Like home.

"That night, we went out after pulling ourselves together: to Tooley's, where we had something to eat. Many of our pack and the nearest lone Wolves came along. Tooley's was the place to go, the place to find out where the party was. There was no new leader yet and Esmé Gandillon was the widowed queen. They came to pay their respects. Plus, she was still hot, even past forty. Then Lucien Dafoe burst in, blood covering half his face and dripping from a gash from his forehead. His arm was wounded and his shirt hung in tatters, looking like his chest had been shredded. Then Astrid came in shrieking at Lucien for being a coward. We rushed them to the restroom. Apparently, they didn't take the confrontation by Gabriel very well and he punished them for endangering the pack. I wondered whether I was responsible for the state Lucien was in, just by telling Gabriel. I felt sick. Bucky demanded to know why Gabriel would do that and Astrid responded by telling him, ''Cus he's power mad, he wants to beat us into following him. Do you want a leader who'd treat us that way?' Normally, I would've agreed, but Astrid was the one who'd risked exposing the whole pack. This was worse than being a bully. She couldn't lead a run that size into the suburbs and expect no one to notice, and if the humans noticed..." She trailed off ominously.

"We needed a leader, it couldn't be clearer, and we couldn't afford to wait for much longer. Since there was no way of knowing who was meant to be Alpha and no agreement on who it should be, our pack decided to elect a leader via the Ordeal; a free for all brawl where any male who is of age could participate and anyone who has blood drawn is disqualified, and the last two standing can fight to the death or if one of them surrenders and submits to the other."

Leah and Sue frowned. "Only the males?" Leah asked. Vivian grimaced.

"My mother and I challenged the exact same thing." She confessed. "But without a clear line of descent, a clear indication or means of determining who possessed the Alpha gene which had to be active, no clear leader, we would elect by trial of Ordeal. Females are in a different weight category, my uncle said. Our muscles don't develop to the same degree. 'Why risk injury or death with no chance to win?' he asked." She grinned. "He says now that it's different if the female is a born-Luna. But he would've had a fit if he saw and knew of your duel with Jacob- or that you'd won."

Leah couldn't help it. She grinned back.

"After the Ordeal, the pack females would participate in the Bitch's Dance, a fight to determine who would be the new Luna by winning the right to be the Alpha's mate." Vivian grimaced. "Savage really. And embarrassing. I mean, who would want to fight just for the right to hook up with the next muscle-bound cretin who could lead? Isn't that a little... undignified?"

Emily and Kim giggled. Leah couldn't help but like Vivian even more.

"But those were archaic rules. Made since time immemorial. And throughout it all, I kept seeing Aiden, in spite of my mother's disapproval." She explained. "'Don't date if you can't mate' the saying goes, and Mom liked to remind me. 'If you gotta wag your tail, wag it for one of the Five.' She said. She also told me she got the creeps every time she saw the silver around my neck. But I wasn't having his baby or planning a future together, making a permanent commitment: I was just going to concerts, parties and movies, and stealing a kiss from time to time, seeing each other during study breaks and swapping notes, sketches and poems in the library. And Moon above, none of the Five were like that, so considerate, so gentle. He was sweet and I felt torn."

Leah and the others blinked at the expressions Vivian and her pack used. "Yet my mother said 'We'll be moving soon. Life will get normal again. You'll have your choice of men. You're beautiful. Don't throw yourself away on someone who can't appreciate you.' 'What makes you think he can't appreciate me?' I snapped. Gabriel at that point, wasn't an option for me," Vivian stated flatly. "I felt more drawn to Aiden. Besides, the Law- for our species at least- says that the match had to be pack-approved, and the Luna wasn't supposed to whelp without the permission of the leader. The Law also said that we should be kept safe and strong and be able to birth healthy children. Yet the Law also wanted us to tear each other apart to find a leader. As far as I was concerned, the Law's a bunch of hypocrisy."

On that, Leah could agree.

"The night of the Ordeal came. I saw Astrid hooking up with Rafe- of all people! The friend of her teenage son who was the exact same age!" Leah, Emily and Kim all reeled, and Sue's face showed her disgust. "Ulf's face was taut with fury. That slut, I thought. She didn't care who she hurt: her own son now, Rafe later if she won the Bitch's match after the males' ordeal and earned the right to claim the new leader as her mate. So, the opening ceremony began, we shifted and watched while the males attacked. In the end, of course Gabriel won and became Alpha. The pack let out a howl. Technically, females weren't actually barred from entering the Ordeal even though we were discouraged. Astrid took advantage of the loophole to try to compete for the top job but got knocked out by Gabriel and put in her place. So once the first fight was finished and before anyone could realise what was happening, she started the Bitch's Dance by jumping on and attacking my mother, the likeliest person to fight."

Emily inhaled sharply. Kim looked aghast and Leah was incredulous.

"I couldn't believe it. My mom was screaming, obviously in pain and no one was helping her, even though she'd been their Luna, their Queen." Vivian's face twisted in anguish which Leah fully felt, but a small part of her also registered in shock how she'd described the Luna Wolf. "So I jumped in to save her. I ended up wounding Astrid. And... I let it get to me. The rage, the fury, the hatred against the one who wanted to take my mother's life, the only family I had left. I also felt something else, the bloodlust, the hunter's instinct. I hated her weaknesses. I loathed her for endangering my pack, my family. I also felt the predator's need to complete the kill. So, I went for it." She shuddered.

"That's what it means to let the Wolf side of you completely take over. It was the first time I felt it. I pray to the Moon goddess I would never feel such a thing again. To be more Wolf, more animal than person. To loathe and rage so much you thirsted for their blood, their death. I hated it, but only afterwards when there was a little distance between me and Astrid during the fight and I had a moment to breathe and I was able to think more clearly, did I realise what I had done or was about to do. But then I had no such clue." She gazed grimly to Leah. "Let this be a warning to you. I heard you handled and restrained yourself pretty well during the fight. But Jacob, I'm willing to bet, would've been another matter. It's what happens when you let your impulses, your instincts take control of you, of your nature and your mind. Always be careful."

Leah swallowed and nodded.

"Then suddenly, the other females started a howl. I didn't understand it, too jazzed and heated from the fight. I didn't know why they had to make such a racket now. Astrid slunk away injured. I focused on my instincts, my fight with Astrid. I bared my teeth, hackles raised and went to chase, to go for the kill- but before I knew it, every female I'd ever known since birth who were still living and hadn't moved away, ran circles around me: Jenny, Aunt Persia, Magda, Renata, Minerva, Odessa, Flavia, Sybil and more." The others absorbed in silence the number of female Wolves mentioned and implied. "At first, I thought I'd done something terrible, ruined the Ordeal. I felt dread. But I also felt defiance; I defended my own when they did not. Yet the blood on my tongue tasted bitter. I was as bad as them; it was in me too- the thirst for blood, the need to kill, to be a predator animal. Perhaps I deserved what they meted out as justice. Then Aunt Persia, the most senior female of our pack, walked forwards and crouched down, ears flat. She rolled over and showed me her belly." Emily and Kim blinked. "The others did the same, presenting their bellies and exposing their throats, to show submission and vulnerability to the lead female. They were paying tribute to the Alpha female, the Queen Bitch, the Luna."

No one reacted at the second epithet. "I was in shock. No! I was no queen! I tried to tell them. I only jumped in to join the fight because my mother was in danger. I thought the Bitch's Dance would start with some formal rite, not a sneak attack. I hadn't planned on being part of it. But a female past her sixteenth birthday counted as grown; I was horrified. This couldn't be right. Why hadn't the others fought? I quickly ran through them in my head: too old, too young, already mated and too fragile. There were only going to be three eligible candidates who stood a chance of claiming the Luna title: myself, my mother and Astrid. I felt foolish; I never stopped to think about this before, I'd been so determined to avoid the contest. But when no lone females or those from other packs arrived, it reaffirmed the possibility of only three candidates, and I had made my feelings on the upcoming fights very clear: Astrid wasn't expecting me.

"And then I got distracted when my mother got up and showed me she was alright. But when the circle of female Wolves parted and my mother stepped aside to let someone through, and I saw Gabriel with a grinning muzzle, I realised what this also meant: I'd accidentally named myself Gabriel's mate."

Leah gagged. Everyone looked incredulous. Vivian nodded, smiling ruefully. "Yup. I panicked. I was terrified, but I refused to show it, to back down. To show my submission and Gabriel's dominance. I did not choose him knowingly. He grinned even wider and licked his lips. I knew he would relish the challenge, they all did back then. Once you get rejected, you chase them and called it romantic. It's still a problem for many guys, human or Wolf, though Gabriel knows we're done if he had ever kept this up or allowed anybody to do the same to anyone." Leah remembered Jacob's forced kiss and wondered if he too had been influenced by someone who taught the same way or if he saw too many rom-coms or Disney movies. It must've been the former 'cause she had a hard time believing Disney would ever show something even to that level of explicitness.

"I fled, and I didn't stop until the sounds of Gabriel's pursuit were long silent. I hid in a shallow cave near a rocky crest until I was sure Gabriel hadn't tracked me before I headed for home. I'd never run that far before. The journey had taken all night. I changed into my human form before I scaled the drainpipe to the porch roof and climbed in through my bedroom window. I remember my palms and soles were bloody and my body ached. I went into the shower, trying to make sense of things while I tried to wash the last twelve hours away. How could I do that to Astrid? I asked myself over and over. My mother and uncle weren't home yet, but they wouldn't be far behind. After the celebration, they would've stayed long enough to bury the dead, the ones who refused to give up, in an isolated spot before heading back. I locked the door. How could they let me behave that way? How could they approve?

"I couldn't sleep. Was I truly obliged to become Gabriel's mate, or did winning the fight only give me first dibs, so to speak? Could I delegate the role? It would've been hilarious if I'd appointed Astrid." Leah snorted, Sue smirked and despite hearing what had happened, Emily and Kim couldn't help but smile.

"Bloody Moon, I thought. Why did Gabriel even want me? Now that he was Alpha, he could go to one of the other communities and bring back a wife from another pack. I grew excited. That was what I was going to suggest. Surely the pack wouldn't condone him mating me against my will, would they? When I awoke, I realised I'd slept the day away. I heard my mom, calling my name. 'Are you getting up?' She asked. 'No.' I said curtly. 'We've got to talk.' She told me. 'No, we don't.' 'Look, it's okay,' she said 'you're embarrassed about running away. Everyone understands. You were overwhelmed by what happened. You're young. You're used to boys. A man's a different matter entirely. But you're woman enough to handle him, I know you are, baby. You're my girl.'"

Vivian snorted. "Boy, did she have the wrong end of the rabbit. Don't bother telling me how Astrid is, and whether I've crippled her for life, Mom! I told her I didn't enter the competition on purpose and that she could go to hell. My mother sounded hurt. She told me she would leave me alone to get used to the idea." Vivian scoffed. "The phone kept ringing. Honestly, I thought, didn't they have their own love lives to occupy them. I avoided Rudy and my mother. Then Aiden called. He thought I was sick and asked if I was feeling any better. He cheered me up. But when I put the phone down, I saw Gabriel in the living room. Rudy had let him in.

"He tried to talk to me. Convince me. He kept following me, even when I demanded him to go. At one point, that was when he kissed me. I wasn't happy and lashed out, but he dodged me." Vivian sighed. "He told me he wasn't going to give up. He'd followed me home last night in the shadows, to keep me safe. It felt like he'd already claimed me. But I swore I would choose my own mate."

She sighed. "I suppose I was right," she conceded. "I did choose my own mate: just not the one I imagined I would."

Vivian smiled sadly. "That night, I finally revealed myself to Aiden. Everything went to hell, and nothing was ever the same again."