19

She runs her hand down her mate's arm, a sigh comes slow; apprehensive. "We will be at war soon."

"Hopefully we'll avoid a war, you mean." Senna replies, her voice just as soft as Tia's. Senna grabs her hand as it moves down her left shoulder. She threads her fingers through Tia's. "What worries you?"

"Obvious the war…and us and—"

"Besides that, and us." Senna says knowingly. "You aren't that worried about us. You're worried about something different."

Tia sighs, her fingers squeeze her mate's. Her sort-of mate's. Her secret mate. "I'm worried about Benjamin."

"You're always worried about Benjamin," Senna smiles, her tone is not jealous, just bemused. "I'm starting to worry about Benjamin too, just because of you."

"I know," Tia shakes her head. "He's having problems with Leah."

"Well that's not new," Senna says, she stands without letting go of Tia's hand. Their browned skin stands out amongst the grey of the forest. "Young people are always so complicated."

"She and Ben were fine but she has reservations about me." Tia sounds both exasperated and confused. "She doesn't like the fact that Ben and I are still 'mates,' and all this time I thought polyamory was making a come back with the youth!"

"Vampires are very possessive creatures I would hope polyamory wasn't coming back, I don't want to share you," Senna comments snidely.

"Not the point."

"What is your point?"

Tia tugs her hand, "I'm going to talk to Leah. About us."

Senna pauses. In truth, she doesn't care who knows about her and Tia, her coven is fine with it; it is Tia's family that they are hiding from. "I don't care what you do." She says, wrapping an arm around Tia's middle. Tia's head lay in the crook of her neck, it fit perfectly there. "I'm fine if the world knows, all that matters it that you're with me."

"Cheesy," Tia whines, and Senna wraps her arms tighter.

-:- -:- -:-

Benjamin must have finally caught on. She's been patrolling Cullen land for at least three hours and he hasn't once come to speak to her. Maybe he's finally learned that she need personal space.

It's quiet today. She's the only one patrolling and most of the vampires went to another state to feed. It grosses her out to think about them all going to eat at once, and it makes her sick to think of how bright their eyes will be when they return, but she can't deny the fact that they could be at war very soon. For once, she wants the leeches to be at their strongest.

Speaking of leeches, one is coming up being her. Leah turns to see Benjamin's…mate, Tia starring her down.

Tia stares at her with eyes slowly fading to black and Leah stares back, a bit confused. She wonders if Tia will fight her for having a weird connection for her mate. For this reason, Leah stiffens.

Tia is very beautiful, no doubt about it. She's tall and regal in her appearance, her skin is dusted caramel. Her hair is dark and straight around her shoulders and her eyes are big and round. Leah thinks this is what Leila probably looked like back in Egypt.

"Can we talk?" Tia's voice is diplomatic; her palms face the sky as if she is surrendering. Another weird thing. Leah would frown if she wasn't a wolf.

Leah nods slowly, dipping her head to the ground. She sits.

Tia looks awkward and her hands flutter; she talks with them. "Oh, I meant…you know, with you as a human."

Peculiar. Leah turns and goes into the cover of the trees to change. Tia can kill her easier this way.

She quickly changes into a pair of jean shorts and a sports bra, feeling bare, like she should be wearing a long coat amongst the leafless trees. She doesn't say anything to Tia when she reappears.

"Let's sit," Tia suggests, her voice gentler this time. "I know you're not the most comfortable around us vampires."

Leah stares. She climbs on a low branch and sits there as Tia climbs up a tree across from her. "So?"

Tia switches gears, crossing her legs. "Listen Leah, I know about you and Benjamin."

Leah's face changes. Tia tries to catch each and every emotion that flashes across the girl's face and some of them confuse her. Regret? Pain? Sadness? She wants to ask but knows its not quite her place.

The wolf girl is silent so Tia goes on. "The thing is…Benjamin and I have an unusual relationship. We're not mates in the sense that you think we are."

Her eyebrow raises but her expression is still guarded.

"I'm a lesbian, Leah." Tia says, a smile lifting the corners of her lips as she watches Leah's expression change. "Benjamin and I aren't intimate in the way that most vampire mates are. He's just…he's my best friend."

"Oh," Leah replies. She scratches her head, "Um…"

"Dating him would be like…Oh, I don't know, you dating Jacob?"

Leah frowns heavily, "Okay, I get it. You didn't have to explain your relationship to Benjamin to me."

Tia rolls her eyes and slips off her perch on the tree. "Oh, I think I did." She begins to walk away, "And you've got some baggage yourself; you should probably give some to him. He's strong, he'll manage."

"Mind your business," Tia hears Leah mutter under her breath. Tia just grins again and makes her way back to the Cullen estate.

-:- -:- -:-

Vampires really think they know everything. Leah fumes silently, back in wolf form. Her paws rip through foliage angrily as she continues to patrol around the area. I'm gonna fucking fight them all.

Why are you so angry? Jacob asks, sounding annoyed. I just woke up, can you calm down?

Why were you sleeping anyway? There's a war coming and about 3 thousand others things we need to worry about. We still haven't talked about fucking slenderman in the mountains and God Forbid we even begin to think about all missing and schizophrenic children around here! But yea, you're sleeping! It's not like the Volturi's gonna be up our asses in less than a month and you—

Wow you have got to chill, Quil says. If you get an aneurysm will we all feel it?

She already had one, remember? Embry comments as he appears in their headspace.

Oh yeah, that was horrible. I thought I was dying, man.

We were dying, briefly. Embry pauses to think. I don't know, I kind of liked it. Egypt was cool back in the day. The Ottoman Empire was—

Do you two mind shutting the fuck up? Leah says a politely as she can. Asking for a friend.

What friend? Quil grins.

Me, Jacob grunts out, there's still sleep in his giant wolf eyes.

We're friends? Leah echoes.

What friend were you referring to then? Jacob sounds annoyed again.

The one in my head. You guys met her—Leila. Leah runs through the trees, catching up with her alpha as he slunk through the forest.

Quil and Embry laugh at that. Oh, you mean your aneurysm? Quil says.

Yeah, her.

Leah barrels her shoulder into the lazy alpha and he makes a halfhearted noise of resentment. I'm so tired, He opens his thoughts to them; showing that he had spent all night reassuring Bella about the war and also something brief about a passport. That part immediately vanishes; so fast that Leah almost didn't catch it.

The question of it hangs in the air. Leah doesn't comment and tries not to think of the Volturi too hard. If anything, she should pretend that Bella's little get a way plan will not take Jacob away from her right before her untimely demise. For a second she is full of anger at the thought; her alpha abandoning them? She knows Bella is selfish but…

Her anger was extinguished seconds later. Nothing really prompts her calmness but it comes as something like acceptance. Because, after all, this makes sense. Bella is a very consistent being and can Leah really blame her for wanting to save her child above all else?

Of course not, that's why the Volturi are coming in the first place.

Quil and Embry are quiet after seeing the insides of Jacob's mind. No one is really paying attention to what each other are thinking, they're lost in their own thoughts. Quil thinks of Claire in flashes, and Embry thinks of his mom, a girl he likes from his fifth period College Algebra class, and his unfinished University of Washington application.

Way to kill the mood Jake Leah says, but there's humor in her voice. She kicks leaves up around her paws and towards him.

You definitely started it He answers back, but there's a guiltiness that lurks in his words.

They all patrol in silence for a while. Eventually Quil leaves to go back to Lapush to babysit Claire and Embry leaves to finish his WU application at Leah's prodding.

With the other two gone the silence seems bearable. Jacob sighs with giant wolf shoulders and says About Bella…

You don't have to talk about it, I understand.

He heaves another sigh and continues walking It won't come to that, I know it. And as an after note he says, You've really changed. A year ago you would've fought Bella on sight for even suggesting I leave in the middle of a war.

Yeah well, It's Leah's turn to heave a giant sigh. I can't be a bitch for the rest of my life.

They share a laugh at that, because Leah can and probably will. She's not a fan of aging. Do you think we got lucky, Jake? The rest of the pack will probably grow old with their imprints and stop phasing somewhere down the line. We can stay young forever.

Good and bad thing, I guess. The best part about it is that we can start aging again if we want, He turns his head towards her, Did you just imply that you're going to "grow old" with Ben?

No! Leah kicks him with her hind leg and her paw ends somewhere up his nose. He groans. I was just saying there's no human holding me back, God.

They lapse back into silence. The wind blows around their forms in giant gusts and Leah almost gets a chill.

You going to the bonfire this weekend? Jacob asks. It's the last one of the season.

I guess.

I'm bringing Ness, you should bring Benjamin.

Leah promptly chokes on her spit. It's about as cute in wolf form as it would be in human. What the fuck makes you think that would be a good idea? Is that even allowed? What makes you think I wanna hang out with Ben anyway? Jacob I should kick your ass—

I think it would be good. I don't know, something seems right about it. Like he should be there.

Oh, great, I didn't know I was in the presence of Jacob Black-The-Great-Wolf-Seer-Who-Pulls-Amazing-Insights-Out-His-Ass-Just-Because-It-feels-Right!

That's a very long title, is all Jacob says. Just consider it. Besides, It's not against the treaty if he's your imprint. They have to let him in, I checked with my dad.

He's not my—

Same difference. Besides, they're already calling you a leech lover by association to me you might as well just—

By association to you?! You act like that something to be proud of I swear to God your brain has shrunk since we've been here—they're putting weird shit in the food again aren't they?

Jacob gives a big sigh, Leah, stop changing the subject.

She doesn't respond for a moment and then, Give me one reason why it would be a good idea to bring Benjamin along and I'll consider it.

Jacob pauses for a very long and says You've seen his culture

More like was apart of it…sorta, Leah amends.

Why don't you let him see yours?

No. Leah says.

Think about it

I thought about it—no.

AN. I think in canon Bella told Jake about the passport and money and escape plan and stuff right before the whole Volturi show down but just pretend she did it earlier here

Lbr….Whos wingman is Jake really trying to be? He's so shady.