We didn't relax. The three of us stood taught with tension, waiting.

Jared frowned. "It would be easier to talk if I could hear you, too."

I stared him down. I wasn't going to phase back until I felt better about this situation. Until it made sense. Why didn't Sam show up himself.

"Okay. I guess I'll just talk, then," Jared said. "Alex, we want you to come back."

Quil let out a soft whine behind him, seconding the statement.

"You've torn our family apart. It's not meant to be this way."

I wasn't exactly in disagreement with that, but it was hardly the point. There were a few unresolved differences of opinion between me and Sam at the moment. And as far as I was concerned Sam and Jacob tore it apart – threatening my family, my mate.

"We know that you feel... strongly about the situation with the Cullens. We know that's a problem. But this is an overreaction."

Seth growled. 'Overreaction? They were planning to break the sacred law... They were going to attack our allies.'

I could feel Leah shift uneasily beside me, 'Calm down Seth, something else is going on'

'right... sorry'

Jared's eyes flickered to Seth and back to me. "Sam is willing to take this slowly, Alex. He's calmed down, talked to the other Elders. They've decided that immediate action is in no one's best interest at this point."

'Translation: They've already lost the element of surprise,' Leah thought.

It was weird how distinct our joint thinking was. The pack was already Sam's pack, was already "them" to us. Something outside and other.

"Billy and Sue agree with you, Alex, that we can wait for Bella and Rosalie... to be separated from the problem. Killing them is not something any of us feel comfortable with."

I couldn't hold back a small snarl of my own. So, they didn't quite feel comfortable with murder, huh? But any attack on the Cullen's was an attack on my family, my mate.

Jared raised his hands again. "Easy, Alex. You know what I mean. The point is, we're going to wait and reassess the situation. Decide later if there's a problem with the... thing."

'Ha,' Leah thought. 'What a load'

'You don't buy it?' Seth asked.

'no... their betting that Bella and Rosalie will die. That Alex will be so heartbroken that she won't stop them, and Bella's death would break the treaty. Jacob would consider it fair game, as far as they see it Edward caused her death, breaking the treaty by doing so'

"Alex?" Jared asked. I huffed a sigh.

'Leah, make a circuit—just to be sure. I'm going to have to talk to him, and I want to be positive there isn't anything else going on while I'm phased. I need to make sure this isn't a trick...'

'on it... and Seth if I see any inappropriate pictures of Alex in your mind' Leah snorted once and then launched herself into the forest. I could hear her claws cutting into the soil, pushing her faster.

'I won't... don't worry Alex I'll keep my eyes straight forward.'

'everyone else has already seen it...'

Nudity was an inconvenient but unavoidable part of pack life. It was awkward for me at least. I had decent control and didn't lose my temper, but everyone had caught a glimpse... and I shared my fair share of intimate moments on accident.

Jared an Quil were staring at the place where Leah disappeared into the brush with weary expressions.

"Where's she going?" Jared asked. I ignored him, walking back slightly to stand behind a bush. Closing my eyes and pulling myself together again. It felt like the air was trembling around me, shaking out from me in small waves. I lifted myself up on my hind legs, catching the moment just right so that I was fully upright as I shimmered down into my human self.

"Oh," Jared said. "Hey, Alex."

I could see some of the others look away... thankfully the bush covered the lower half, so all I had to do was cross my arms. "Jared"

"Thanks for talking to me."

"Yeah."

"We want you to come back, man."

Quil whined again.

"It's not that easy, Jared."

"Come home," he said, leaning forward. Pleading. "We can sort this out. You don't belong here. Let Seth and Leah come home, too."

"Leah and Seth are free to make their own choices... And my mate's here Jared, I belong with her, and she can't come on the reservation. Jacob was right"

Jared assessed that; his eyes cautious again. "So, what now, then?" I thought that over for a minute while he waited.

"I don't know. But things can't just go back to normal anyway, Jared. I can't turn this alpha thing off. Even if Sam stepped down, Jacob and I would never get along. It's been building for a long time. And I can't exactly forget that he planned to kill my mate. To break the laws. I can't trust that."

"You still belong with us."

I raised my eyebrows. "Two Alphas can't belong in the same place, Jared."

"So, are you all just going to hang out with the parasites for the rest of your lives?" he demanded, I growled a little. "You don't have a home here. You're already out of clothes," he pointed out. "You gonna stay wolf all the time? You know Leah doesn't like eating that way."

"Leah can do whatever she wants when she gets hungry. She's here by her own choice. I'm not telling anyone what to do."

Jared sighed. "Sam is sorry about what he did to you."

I nodded. "I'm not angry anymore."

"But?"

"But I'm not coming back, not now. We're going to wait and see how it plays out, too. And we're going to watch out for the Cullens for as long as that seems necessary. Because, despite what you think, this isn't just about Bella or Rosalie. We're protecting those who should be protected. And that applies to the Cullens, all of them."

Seth yelped softly in agreement.

Jared frowned. "I guess there's nothing I can say to you, then."

"No"

Jared turned to face Seth, concentrating on him now, separate from me. "Sue asked me to tell you—no, to beg you—to come home. She's brokenhearted, Seth. All alone. I don't know how you and Leah can do this to her. Abandon her this way when your dad just barely died—"

Seth whimpered.

"Ease up, Jared," I warned.

"Just letting him know how it is."

I snorted. "Right." Sue was tougher than anyone I knew. Tough enough to play on her kids' sympathies if that's what it took to get them home. But it wasn't fair to work Seth that way. "Sue's known about this for how many hours now. And most of that time spent with Billy and Old Quil and Sam? Yeah, I'm sure she's just perishing of loneliness. 'Course you're free to go if you want, Seth. You know that."

Seth sniffed. Then, a second later, he cocked an ear to the north. Leah must be close. Two beats, and Leah skidded to a stop in the brush a few yards away. She trotted in, taking the point in front of Seth.

"Leah?" Jared asked. She met his gaze, her muzzle pulling back a little over her teeth.

Jared didn't seem surprised by her hostility. "Leah, you know you don't want to be here."

She snarled at him. Seth whined and nudged her with his shoulder.

"Sorry," Jared said. "Guess I shouldn't assume. But you don't have any ties to the bloodsuckers."

Leah very deliberately looked at her brother and then at me.

"So you want to watch out for Seth, I get that," Jared said. His eyes touched my face and then went back to hers. Probably wondering about that second look— if they took a second to really understand the relationship the two of us had then they would know how close we were. "But Alex's not going to let anything happen to him, and he's not afraid to be here." Jared made a face. "Anyway, please, Leah. We want you back. Sam wants you back."

Leah's tail twitched.

"Sam told me to beg. He told me to literally get down on my knees if I have to. He wants you home, Lee-lee, where you belong."

I snarled and saw Leah flinch when Jared used Sam's old nickname for her. And then, when he added those last three words, her hackles rose, and she was yowling a long stream of snarls through her teeth. I didn't have to be in her head to hear the cussing-out she was giving him, and neither did he. You could almost hear the exact words she was using. Serves them right, unfortunately they couldn't hear her.

I waited till she was done. "Leah belongs wherever she wants to be."

Leah growled, but, as she was glaring at Jared, I figured she agreed.

"Look Jared, I don't want to fight you guys... No one wants a family brawl because they're always bad. I have faith that we will figure this out, but until then I'm not leaving them. So, you stay on your land, and we'll stay here, we'll sleep on the ground if we need to. When it's all over Seth and Leah are free to go where they want"

"And you Alex?"

"I'll be with Rosalie... That's the way it was always going to be... Don't make me choose between you guys and her. Because it's going to be her every time. You should know that you guys have imprints and so does Sam"

Jared flinched at the thought of leaving his imprint. "What if we need to talk?" Jared asked.

"Howl—but watch the line, 'kay? We'll come to you. And Sam doesn't need to send so many. We aren't looking for a fight."

Jared scowled, but nodded. He didn't like me setting conditions for Sam. "See you around, Alex. Or not." He waved halfheartedly.

"wait, Jared. Is everyone okay?"

Surprise crossed his face. "yeah, they're fine. Why?"

"just wondering why Sam didn't come himself. Why he sent his people into possible danger. Pretty reckless"

I watched his reaction, still suspicious that something was going on. I saw knowledge flash in his eyes, but it didn't look like the kind I was expecting.

"That's not really your business anymore, Alex."

I raised an eyebrow "no, I guess it isn't"

"I'll let Sam know about your... instructions. Goodbye, Alex."

Once they left I phased back and walked with the others back to the Cullens. 'we're good, for now.'

' I wonder why Sam didn't come' Seth muttered. For a fleeting moment I realized it was because he didn't see us as a threat.

'what?'

'don't you get it Seth, none of them think Alex is a threat. Her position as Beta was always so Sam could keep an eye on her. Sam also thinks you and I are the weakest of the pack.'

Maybe it was a distraction. I wasn't always so paranoid, but I remembered the feel of Sam's commitment. The total one-track focus on destroying the danger he saw. Would he take advantage of the fact that he could lie to us now? We ran into the opening of the Cullen's backyard. 'Seth, you mind keeping an eye on things for a while. Leah and I both need to sleep'

'No problem!' Seth was only too eager to do whatever he could. 'You want me to explain to the Cullens? They're probably still kinda tense.'

'I got it. I want to check things out anyway.' They caught the whir of images from my fried brain. From Rosalie eating soup to Bella drinking blood.

Seth whimpered in surprise. 'Ew.'

Leah whipped her head back and forth like she was trying to shake the image out of her mind. 'That is easily the freakin' grossest thing I've heard in my life. Yuck.'

'They are vampires, I guess,' Seth allowed after a minute, compensating for Leah's reaction. 'I mean, it makes sense. And if it helps Bella, it's a good thing, right?'

I looked at Seth 'yeah but it's still gross... I don't know why. I mean we've eaten raw meat with blood all around. But drinking it out of a straw.' I fake gaged earning chuckles from the other two.