Saturday, March 26, 2005
(Mike)
It's been a week since Leah rode on my back for the first time and since I met the Quileute pack. Apparently the elders heard about the whole thing, because Leah told me her dad had invited me to one of the tribe's bonfires, one of the big ones where they eat until they can't move and Billy Black tells the tribe's old stories.
Normally, the idea of being the outsider at a cultural event like that would've made me feel at least a little nervous. But I've spent so much time shifted lately that my wolf's attitude has been rubbing off on me. The damn thing doesn't experience "nervous." It barely acknowledges fear unless something is physically trying to kill us. That confidence bleeds into my human form whether I want it to or not, not enough to change who I am, but enough that I walk into most situations with a calmer head.
Right now I'm driving toward the reservation to pick up Leah so we can head to the bonfire together. God, I missed her, ridiculously so. It's only been two days since I last saw her, and it feels like someone pressed pause on part of me. How the hell did I function before she was in my life?
Anyway, onto other problems: vampire trouble. I spent some time with Bella yesterday, and she told me that catching Victoria is turning into a bigger nightmare than anyone expected. From the way she moves, the Cullens figured she probably has some kind of danger sense. Just a few days ago, Alice had a vision of Victoria approaching Forks. But the moment the Cullens started preparing to intercept her, Victoria changed her mind and bolted somewhere else.
And that wasn't a one-time thing. Every time Alice caught sight of her, every single time, the Cullens would head out, and Victoria would suddenly veer off in another direction like she felt a shock of danger crawling up her spine.
The scariest part? She's not even making choices anymore. According to Alice, her movement patterns are completely erratic now, no logic, no goals, no hunting routes. Just running, like she's realized that making any deliberate decision puts her at risk of being caught.
And that makes her so unpredictable that Alice can barely even see her in her visions, which is frustrating her to no end.
…
When I pulled up to the Clearwater house, Leah was already sitting on the front steps, elbows on her knees, tapping her foot like she'd been waiting forever. The moment our eyes met, something in my chest snapped loose.
I barely remembered shutting the car door. One second I was walking, the next I was practically running, grabbing her by the waist and lifting her clean off the ground. Leah let out a startled laugh as I spun her in a full circle, burying my face against her neck to breathe her in; pine, rain, and whatever shampoo she used that made my brain short-circuit.
"Mike! Put me down, you idiot!" she giggled, half-berating me, half-clinging to my shoulders so she wouldn't fly off like a Frisbee.
"Nope," I said, entirely unrepentant. "I need to recharge. Two days without you is too long."
She rolled her eyes at that, but the smile tugging at her lips was impossible to hide. Eventually I forced myself to set her on her feet again, though my hands stayed on her waist longer than necessary.
Leah tugged me down into a quick kiss, soft, warm, and entirely too short.
"Eugh! Gross!"
We broke apart to find Seth standing in the doorway, staring at us like we'd committed a war crime in broad daylight. Leah flipped him off without missing a beat.
I gave him a friendly, "Hey, Seth," and bumped his fist.
"What do you want?" Leah asked, arms crossing in warning.
Seth glanced between the two of us with way too much hope in his eyes. "Can I come with you guys?"
"Not a chance," Leah said instantly.
"Sure, hop in," I said at the exact same moment.
We both froze. Leah slowly turned her head toward me, betrayal written across her face like really?
I lifted my hands defensively. "Come on, Leah. You only have one brother, be a little nice to him. And it's a five-minute drive. He can't possibly annoy you that fast."
Leah stared at me like I'd just uttered the single dumbest sentence she'd ever heard. "You have no idea…"
But then she sighed, shoulders dropping in defeat. "Fine. Get in the car before I change my mind, squirt."
Seth lit up like a Christmas tree and bolted past us.
Leah groaned under her breath, and I had the sudden suspicion that five minutes might actually be plenty of time for Seth to try to murder her sanity.
…
The three of us headed toward the car, and before I could even grab my keys, Seth had already sprinted ahead and claimed the passenger seat like a conquering warlord.
Leah stopped dead behind him, staring into the window with a look of cold, murderous disbelief.
"Seth," she said flatly, "move."
"No way." He buckled himself in with exaggerated speed. "Shotgun means shotgun. I need to control the radio."
I didn't even have time to intervene before Leah grabbed him, actually grabbed him, by the back of his hoodie like a puppy being hauled by the scruff. She yanked him out of the seat with one smooth pull, ignoring his flailing limbs and outraged squawking, then shoved him into the backseat with the grace and gentleness of someone loading cargo.
"Leah!" Seth complained, scrambling upright. "You're like, like a female tyrannosaurus!"
Leah turned her head just enough to level a glare at him through half-lidded eyes.
Seth immediately went silent.
For a full ten seconds.
As I slid into the driver's seat, I couldn't help side-eyeing Leah. She had lifted Seth like he weighed nothing. He wasn't huge, but still, she'd never tossed him around that easily before.
Is she… starting to phase?
The thought hit me with cold certainty. But I pushed it down for now. Not the time, not the place, this was a conversation better done in private.
I started the engine and pulled onto the road toward First Beach. Seth, having regained the ability to speak, immediately began vibrating with excitement.
"This is so cool! We should totally do a road trip someday. Like, a real one. Just imagine it, Mike, you and me, two best friends, cruising down the highway, no restrictions, no nagging parents, no annoying sisters…"
A low growl began rumbling from the front passenger seat.
I glanced over. Leah sat stiffly, hands clenched on her thighs, jaw locked tight. The kind of expression that said she was calculating whether she could open the car door, grab Seth, throw him into the forest, and get back in before we reached the stop sign.
Seth, oblivious to danger like only a twelve-year-old could be, continued,
"We'll have the windows down, the music blasting, Mike, what do you think? Should we start planning tonight? I say we…"
Leah twisted halfway in her seat, eyes glowing with I will murder you energy.
Seth's voice finally trailed off. "…I'll, uh… be quiet now," he squeaked.
But only for about fifteen seconds.
I suppressed a laugh and focused on the road. This was going to be the longest five-minute drive of Leah's life.
"I'm gonna put on some music," I announced. "For the safety of everyone involved."
I flicked on the radio and the opening notes of On My Way by Phil Collins filled the car.
Seth gasped like he'd just witnessed a miracle.
"No way, this is my favorite! I love this song!"
"Go ahead, Koda," I said with a grin, giving him a nod.
Seth immediately launched into the lyrics with the unrestrained enthusiasm of a kid who refused to acknowledge the existence of pitch. I joined in, because why not? It was impossible not to.
"Tell everybody I'm on my way~"
"New friends and new places to see~"
Our voices, his chaotic screeching and my off-key but committed attempt, blended into something that could generously be described as sound.
Leah, arms crossed and pretending to stare out the window in deep, long-suffering irritation, didn't fool me for a second. I caught the tiny smile pulling at the corner of her mouth, the way her shoulders relaxed just a little.
She tried to smother it, but it was there, bright and warm.
Seeing her expression soften while her brother belted out the chorus with zero shame made something inside me swell with affection. Maybe the wolf confidence was doing its thing again, but moments like this… they made me feel grounded. Like I belonged here with them.
Seth hit a particularly enthusiastic note and nearly cracked the windows.
Leah snorted.
And somehow, the car felt lighter, happier, as if the goofy singing had chased away the tension.
Yeah.
This was good.
…
(Seth really does have that Koda air, doesn't he? I must have watched that movie like a thousand times thanks to my little brother. Support with power stones, comments or whatever. 🐢🎶)