Leah had to admit, if only to herself, that being a sex mentor (at least that was how she thought of herself) was pretty fun. There were certainly benefits to it, and she could do worse than Call. From what she could tell, her original plan to get to Sam by fooling around with one of his friends hadn't really made an enormous impact, but that wasn't the primary motivator in her mind any longer.

Over the next few weeks, her secret nighttime encounters with Embry were the only thing that kept her grounded outside the time she spent with Seth. She always felt anxious, irritable, and extremely restless. Sometimes that anger and anxiety would inadvertently be taken out on Embry, but he always found a way to make her forget about it all, whether he responded with hot, aggressive sex in kind, or if he gently soothed away her raw emotions with slow, soft adoration.

It wasn't a relationship, though.

Call was convenient. And willing. And easily taught. She definitely enjoyed the opportunity to mold and teach him along the way. Not everything he did was perfect, but he was damn good for a beginner. Her mind often drifted to the fire he caused with his tongue, be it on her neck, toying with her nipples, or buried between her legs. He could make her practically sing, and he didn't hold back from giving her that kind of pleasure. It was strange sometimes, though, because he always seemed to know what kind of mood she was in before he arrived. It was also unnerving how he seemed to be able to read her so well; she didn't like feeling vulnerable to someone, and even though she liked fooling around with Embry, everything inside her still demanded that she remain in control.

She couldn't risk losing herself to foolish emotions. She refused to put herself in that position ever again.

Everything else in her life went on as usual: the monotony of her shitty job, spending time with her brother, and disagreements with her dad.

"You should really try not to get so angry with him," Sue Clearwater told her daughter one night as they cleaned up after dinner. "Your father loves you very much, Leah."

Leah sighed, biting back an annoyed reply. "He knows how I feel about him. Maybe he should try investing a little more time in his family instead of my dickhead ex."

"Dammit, Leah!" her mom said hotly, throwing the spatula she was towel-drying down on the counter. "You have no idea the stress he's been under in the past few months!"

Leah turned away from the dishes she had been scrubbing but said nothing.

"There are things going on with the tribe, and the elders have been on constant alert."

"Alert? What's going on?" Leah demanded. "And what does that have to do with Sam Uley?"

"The Uleys are one of the oldest families in the tribe, along with the Blacks and Atearas. It recently became time for Sam to take up his position with the council."

"Sam never wanted that," Leah stated. She quickly held her tongue, feeling like she was defending him. He didn't deserve her defense, or any of her thoughts for that matter.

Sue sighed. "Things change, Leah. A lot of things you never expect; it's just the way of life. I know you've been hurt, much more than any mother ever wants to see her child hurt, but everyone's doing what they have to."

Leah watched her mother, noticing that she looked a little more tired than normal. Her face was so serious. The stern, severe expression was far from the usual nurturing, gentle woman she had always looked up to.

"Your father's also been have some health problems."

"What? Since when? What's going on?" Leah demanded frantically, her heart dropping into her shoes.

"High blood pressure. Some minor heart problems. He's taking medication and trying to eat better, but the stress recently doesn't help. If you could just give him a little break, it would make a difference."

Contrite and now worried, Leah just nodded, mumbling her acquiescence.

"Not to mention that your brother is growing so quickly I can hardly keep him clothed, and the two of you have been eating twice as much as you used to."

Slightly offended, Leah wanted to protest, but when she thought about it, she realized she took second helpings much more often than she used to. She chalked it up to all the exercise they'd been doing and told her mom as much. Sue's lips pursed, but she didn't say anything, ignoring any further discussion and turning back to the dishes.

"Warm up the dish water and let's get these finished."

Without protest, Leah did as her mother told her before escaping to her bedroom. Her thoughts were consumed with worry for her father's health and made worse by the overwhelming weight of it being yet another thing she couldn't control. Frustrated, she turned on some music and threw herself into bed, trying to focus on the melodies until she finally fell asleep.

.

Sleep drifted away as a weight on the bed beside her slowly brought Leah back to consciousness. She turned instinctively, knowing after frequent meetings who it had to be.

"Hey," she mumbled sleepily, nuzzling into Embry's chest, but she didn't make any move to rouse herself further.

Embry's chest shook lightly with a chuckle. "Are you cuddling, Clearwater?"

"Shh . . . so tired."

"Yeah, okay," she heard him say as warmth enveloped her and the world drifted away again.

Leah woke sometime later facing the wall in her small bedroom. Embry was spooned behind her, his body tucked close against hers and one hand was cupped around her breast. She actually enjoyed it until she remembered everything that had been on her mind earlier. The frustration of not understanding all the supposed tribal business coupled with her continued worry for her father made her restless, and she shifted irritably.

"Hey," came from behind her in a grumbly, sleep-laden voice. "You all right?"

A soft kiss was pressed to the side of her neck, and she rolled over to face Embry. She tried to put a little space between them as her thoughts took form aloud.

"How did you start hanging out with Sam?"

She watched Embry sit up quickly, scooting away from her. He shook his head and dug the heel of his palms into his eyes.

"I didn't think that's what this was about anymore," he said dejectedly.

"No, I'm not talking about that," she replied immediately. "I just . . . he's still around my dad all time, supposedly for tribal council."

"Okay . . ."

"But if that's what he's doing, why is he hanging around you and all those other teenagers?" She hated bringing up Sam or asking about Embry's choice of friends because it implied she cared what they did, but curiosity had gotten the better of her.

Embry didn't say anything, but something in his expression gave him away. He knew something he wasn't saying, and she was determined to get it out of him.

"Tell me."

"Tell you what?" he said.

"You know something, and you're not answering my question. What's going on with Sam and the council? Are you helping them?"

He rolled over quickly, taking her with him and pinning her body beneath his.

"Nothing's going on," he insisted, dropping his mouth to her neck and sucking her skin in the most amazing way.

For a moment, Leah let herself be distracted. She fell into the feeling of his kisses and the shocks they sent through her entire body. Her eyes closed, and she reveled in how good the weight of his body felt on top of her. But when he edged down a little, beginning to pull up her shirt, she finally came to her senses. Taking the lead, she nudged him until he rolled and straddled him. He smiled up at her, devilish and lustful, and she rolled her hips down hard on his cock. He bucked up, mouth dropping open and hands squeezing her hips roughly.

"Now," she said firmly, stilling herself, "quit trying to distract me, and tell me what's going on."

Embry flopped down beneath her, his hands falling over his face and body going limp as he groaned.

"You are the devil, woman."

Leah simply smirked and not-so-innocently ground herself against his prominent erection one more time before she moved off him, sitting further down the bed. He slowly sat up to join her, discomfort clear in his expression.

"Why is this so important to you?" he asked, his face calm and serious.

"Why are you avoiding my questions?" she shot back, her frustration building back up.

He sighed, scratching his head with both hands, clearly lost for the right words.

"Answer my question first. Please."

Dear lord, why did he have to look at her like that? At this moment he still looked his age, still sweet and imploring. What a change from a few minutes prior. She buckled a little.

"I just feel like everything has changed. My life. Sam. There's some kind of tension on the rez. My dad is secretive about everything, and I find out he's been having health issues." She paused, wringing her hands in her lap in a very uncharacteristic manner. "Please, if you know something, tell me. Help me out here."

They were both silent, and Leah nearly gave up. She was sure this would be the end of everything. He wouldn't tell her what he knew, if he knew anything at all. It would all be too awkward, and this brief affair would come to a crashing halt.

But then Embry spoke.

"The elders have been getting us ready to . . . to take their place, I guess."

"They're forming a new tribal council? More than Sam? Just picking new people? That's not tradition."

"It's not," Embry agreed, "but things have changed. They're bringing the young men in sooner than usual, but it's kind of circumstantial. Old Quil is, well, really old. Billy in his wheelchair. Your father."

She sat up quickly.

"Did you know something was going on with my dad?" she demanded, accusation and anger strong in her tone.

"No," he said immediately, defending himself. "Nothing specific, just that the elders felt it was best to go about things this way."

Leah shook her head, not sure if she was more or less confused before; this did little for her level of frustration.

"Why you, though? Isn't your mom Makah?"

"That's . . . complicated."

She raised her eyebrows at him expectantly.

"The elders think my dad was Quileute," he said quietly, not meeting her eyes.

"But how would they know that? Did your mom say something?" Leah asked curiously.

As she watched him, it became quite obvious that it wasn't something he wanted to discuss, but she couldn't help the curiosity that lingered. She still had so many questions. After a minute, sympathy set in.

"You don't have to talk about it anymore." Right now, she thought. "Thank you."

Embry shrugged, and she didn't press further. She had made him uncomfortable, that much was clear, and she didn't want to perpetuate the situation. Yawning, she began to make her way toward her pillow.

"I should go," Embry said softly.

"Don't." She reached for him, resting her hand on his arm.

Without a word, he lay beside her in the small, worn bed. They faced one another, and after a moment of looking at each other sleepily, Embry leaned forward and kissed her. The unexpected comfort she felt from his affection kept her from meeting his eyes again when he pulled away. She turned onto her other side, letting him curl up behind her, holding her body close to his.

Leah didn't know why she liked having him there that way. She didn't know why she was okay with it but was too tired to carry on that internal argument. Instead, she yawned again, letting the deep exhale usher her into sleep as she remained warm and secure and with so much on her mind.

E/N: MeraNaamJoker is amazy and keeps me on track & tidy. A million thanks.

Knowing that you're all reading is like having my very own unicorn. You keep these characters alive. ((lovesmoosh))

Shit's getting real now. I don't normally request reviews, but I'm curious to know what kind of theories you may have . . . or if my clues are too vague. =)