(Sam)
We ran.
Three massive shapes cutting through the forest, paws hammering the ground, breath steaming in the cool air. But even with my wolf form carrying me forward on instinct and muscle memory, my mind lagged far behind. If it weren't for the pack-mind tether between us, I probably would've face-planted into a stump by now. Twice.
{Sam, heads up. Root.}
Jared's warning cut through my spiraling thoughts just in time. I shifted my weight and vaulted over the gnarled root half-buried in the dirt.
I should've felt grateful. Instead, all I felt was… numb.
Because Leah's words wouldn't stop replaying in my head.
"Because we love each other. Duh."
"He imprinted on someone else."
He chose her over his imprint.
That stuck like a barb under my ribs.
Because I knew what imprinting felt like. Absolutely overwhelming and all consuming. When it hit me, when I saw Emily after phasing for the first time, every feeling I'd ever had for Leah collapsed in on itself like a dying star.
One second she was the girl I thought I'd marry.
The next she was… background noise.
And I'd spent months telling myself I had no choice. That imprinting was bigger than me. That I wasn't the villain, that I was a victim of some cosmic rewiring I never asked for.
But if Mike could imprint on someone and still choose Leah?
Then what did that make me?
Weak? Faulty? A pathetic imitation of a man, just like…
Just like him.
The thought hit too fast, too raw. My paws stumbled, claws digging into the dirt.
Emily's voice flashed through my memory, sharp and furious: "You're just like your father."
She didn't know what it would do to me. She didn't mean to… but I'd seen red anyway.
And then I'd hurt her.
Because she was right.
Because a part of me believed it.
{Sam! Sam! Sam!}
Jared's voice boomed in my skull, and something about his tone snapped me out of the downward slide.
{…What?} I answered, though it came out more like a growl than a word.
{You're spiraling, man. Hard. Look, listen to me. You are not your father. I would know. I'm literally plugged into your head.}
Jared pushed more emotion into the link than usual; concern, steadying calm, even a touch of humor. {And trust me, you're a good man. Every time you think about the imprint, your emotions go all over the place. It was… overwhelming. Honestly? I don't know if I would've handled it better than you did.}
A beat passed.
Then Paul chimed in, sounding like he hated every syllable he was about to say. {Jared's right. And…}
He hesitated.
{...I also hate to say this, but did you see that guy? That is not a normal wolf. He's huge. Freaky huge.}
Jared snorted mentally. I winced as Paul's memory flashed into the pack link, the moment the gigantic white wolf swatted him like a mosquito and sent him crashing into a tree.
Paul went dead silent.
Jared and I both tried to pretend we didn't experience that secondhand embarrassment.
I pushed past it. {Maybe he is some kind of anomaly. But that doesn't erase what I did.}
I slowed slightly, not physically, but in the bond, letting them feel the weight I'd been carrying.
{I hurt Leah. I broke her heart. And Emily…}
Paul muttered, {That wasn't your fault. The imprint…}
{No. I'm not hiding behind that.} I cut him off, voice hard.
{Maybe the imprint pulled me, but I'm still the one who acted. I'm the one who left Leah crying on her front steps. I'm the one who lost control and hurt Emily. I'm the common denominator.}
Silence rippled through the bond, heavy and uncomfortable.
Then Jared spoke again, carefully. {Sam… a lesser man would blame everything on the imprint. He'd refuse to look at anything he did wrong. He wouldn't feel guilt, or regret, or responsibility. But you do. Every damn day. That's not weakness. That's exactly why you're not like your father.}
Paul added, gruff and painfully sincere: {If you were a bad man, Sam, do you honestly think I'd respect you? Alpha or not, if you were an asshole, I'd have walked away the second I phased.}
That hit harder than I expected.
I slowed slightly, letting their words settle into the cracks of everything I'd been tearing myself apart over.
Jared felt the shift and nudged our minds gently.
{See? You're not alone in this. We've got your back.}
Paul added, {Yeah. Don't make me repeat it, though. My reputation can only take so much kindness in one day.}
Despite everything, a rumble of quiet amusement vibrated in my chest. {…Thanks.}
The words were small but sincere. {Both of you. Really.}
And with that, the forest continued racing past us, but for the first time since we'd left Leah and that enormous white wolf behind…it felt like I could breathe again.
…
Sunday, March 20, 2005 - Makah Reservation
(Leah)
Emily's place smelled like cinnamon tea and lemon cleaner; comforting, a little nostalgic, and very Emily. After we hugged hello and traded the standard "How've you been?" small talk, we ended up on her long couch.
She sat on her side perfectly straight, ankles together, hands folded primly on her lap like she was posing for a church brochure. Meanwhile, I was sprawled back with one arm draped over the cushion and one foot resting on the small coffee table. Two cousins, same bloodline, completely different species of human.
My eyes drifted to her face. The bandages were gone now, leaving the angry red scars exposed, though she tried her absolute best to hide them behind her hair. She pretended it was casual, but I knew her too well; every tilt of her head was deliberate.
And as I watched her, something suddenly clicked. Sam being a wolf shifter.
What she'd told me weeks ago, that Sam had offered to take his own life to make her feel better.
Back then, I honestly thought he was just being dramatic, manipulating her sweet heart.
But now?
Now it all made sense in a way I didn't want it to. So I decided to test the waters.
"That wasn't a bear, was it?"
Emily's whole body stiffened. She blinked rapidly, cheeks pinking.
"Wh-what are you talking about, Lee Lee? Of course it was a bear. What else could it have been?" But her eyes darted everywhere except at me.
"It was Sam, wasn't it?" I pressed.
This time her expression froze, wide eyes, tense shoulders, but still she tried.
"Sam?! How could it be him? Don't you see the claw marks? How could Sam have done that?"
"I know he can transform into a wolf."
Silence dropped between us like a ten-ton weight. Emily's lips parted, then closed. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely a whisper.
"How… How do you know that? Did he tell you? He's not supposed to tell you. The tribe's rules…"
"He didn't tell me," I cut in. "Mike did. Since he's a wolf too."
Emily stared at me like I'd announced I was marrying Bigfoot.
"And yesterday," I continued, "Mike took me into the woods and showed me. Even took me for a ride. We met Sam after Paul tried to attack us."
That snapped her out of her daze.
"Paul did WHAT?!" she gasped. "Leah, are you okay? Did he touch you? I swear, I'm going to kill him." Her hands balled into fists, the protective cousin mode fully activated.
I blinked at her, impressed. "Whoa, Emily. Didn't know you had homicide in your skillset."
But her glare didn't soften.
"I'm fine," I reassured her, lifting my palms. "He didn't hurt me, and Mike kicked his ass. But if you still want to kill Paul, go ahead. I'll even help you hide the body."
That finally made Emily sputter out a laugh, half relief, half exasperation.
…
Emily's brief laugh faded, and silence settled again. I could feel her tension; tight shoulders, fingers twisting in her lap. Then she inhaled, slow and shaky.
"It… it really was Sam," she finally said, voice barely above a whisper.
My whole body went rigid. Heat rose up my spine, anger flaring like a match to gasoline.
But Emily rushed on, words spilling fast. "Leah, no, listen, it wasn't his fault. I said something, something stupid, and he… he lost control. He didn't mean to transform. I was too close when it happened."
A low growl scraped out of my throat before I could stop it. "That still doesn't make it right. He did that to you. I'm going to kick his ass."
Emily's eyes widened in panic. "Leah, you can't hurt a wolf shifter! They're too strong, too fast, too everything."
"Fine," I snapped. "Then I'll tell Mike to do it."
"Leah!"
"I'm serious. You should've seen what he did to Paul yesterday. One casual slap of his paw, casual, Em, and Paul went flying and toppled a big-ass tree."
Emily's mouth fell open in horror. "Please don't do that. Don't hurt Sam. Please."
I stared at her. Something about how desperately she'd said that, how her breath trembled afterward, hit me like a punch.
"You like him," I growled.
Her cheeks flushed. "N-no I don't, why would you…"
"Emily."
She wilted. Then, barely audible, "I… might like him. A little."
She twisted her fingers again. "He's been coming to see me… and he's been really sweet. But don't worry, I'd never… I'm not going to be with him. I swear. I mean, look at me." Her voice cracked. "I know what I look like now. I know what…"
"Em." I leaned forward, anger dissolving into something softer. "I don't care about Sam anymore. I'm over him. Honestly, I should thank him. If he hadn't screwed everything up, I'd never have met Mike."
Her eyes lifted, uncertain.
"So if you really like Sam," I continued, "and you think he'll treat you right… then go ahead. Give him a chance. But only if it's truly what you want. Not because you feel guilty. Not because you think you have no other options. And definitely not because you think no one else will want you with those scars."
Emily's lips parted in shock. "How did you…"
"Because I know how you think," I said firmly. "But you're wrong. Those scars don't hide your beauty. Anyone would be lucky to be with a woman as good as you."
Her eyes trembled, moisture gathering until it spilled over.
Then she suddenly threw herself at me, arms tight around my neck.
"Lee Lee!" she wailed, full-on bawling like a little kid.
I froze for a second, then awkwardly patted her back. "Okay, okay, shh… You're gonna drown me here. Come on, Em, it's alright…"
But she just clung tighter, crying into my shoulder, and for once… I didn't mind it.
…
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