Stephenie Meyer owns everything and I own nothing but this imagined interaction between these characters that I don't own.

I looked at Emily standing across from me on the other side of her kitchen island and hoped that this really wouldn't be a surprise. OK. Maybe I hoped it would be a little bit of a surprise.

"Emily, I'm leaving the rez at the end of the month. Just thought you should know."

"You'll be back for the wedding? Right? It's all set for you to be my maid of honor. Your still in, right? I mean we did promise each other all those years ago."

Holy shit, I can't believe the bitch went there. Really? She is even more out to lunch that I thought.

"Um, Em . . . why would you think that I would want to be in your wedding? I don't know about you but I'm thinking that that will be just a wee bit awkward. Especially considering that you slept with my fiance less than a day after meeting him in the hall bathroom of my parent's house."

The fact that I said this in my deceptively deadly calm voice made Jared, Paul, and Embry quietly walk out the door. You know you've found a good verbal weapon when you scare werewolves. Paul once called it my "cut your cock off and stuff it down your pie hole while gently smiling voice". It's the only thing that can make Paul loose a hard-on in ten seconds flat. For that reason I privately refer to it as my very own anti-sexual molestation mojo.

"But Leah you promised! We've been talking about this for weeks!" Emily's voice was taking on that pitchy glass cutting quality that made Fran Dresher sound like Leotine Price.

"Actually, I haven't promised anything."

"Yes you did! We picked out the dresses and I sent in the deposit for your dress because you didn't have your wallet on you. We decided on those pretty yellow dresses with the chiffon overskirt. Remember?"

Quietly and calmly I practically purr, "Think back Emily. You talked and I never responded. You talked about me being the maid of honor when you decided to go into shock and awe mode and just showed up at my house. I didn't say a word to you and just let you talk until you were giggled out and left. I had Paul upstairs and was more interested in sucking his cock than talking taffeta and tacky ass bridesmaid dress shit with you."

The hysteria in Emily's voice began to ratchet up, "But you went to the store with me. They measured you! Rachel was there and we talked about . . . " she trailed off as her memory of that day came into focus.

"Ah, you're finally really thinking about that Saturday. Please. Call Rachel. She has a great memory and I'm sure that she will remember that I didn't say one word that day from the time you picked me up to when you finally dropped me off. Such a relief! Your incessant chatter about you and your wedding was just so boringly typical of a narcissistic bridezilla. I think that I can speak for most of the intended wedding guests and suggest that you elope. Hell, I'll add a hundred bucks to the elopement fund."

With her bottom lip trembling in a pathetic attempt to seem so very hurt, Emily started to tear up. Again. Because my cousin would tear up for anything. The mail is late, a tear. Seeing a dust bunny under the bed after Sam vacuumed, tear and a sniffle. The DVR not taping the Lifetime movie about a woman done wrong, hiccuping sobs. Lifetime is my favorite network for its dedication to the fine film genre that I've taken to calling the If It Has a Penis It Must Die. I was kind of interested to see how dehydrated Emily would get with her cousin crapping de-horned unicorns and popped balloons on her bridal rainbow. She might actually require an IV drip.

"Youuu cannntt doo thiss toooo meeeee . . . " she wailed.

"I don't really see how I'm to blame for your lack of communication skills. As an adult you should realize that it's not enough to talk to or at someone. Perhaps you should also listen. Just a friendly suggestion."

"I'm calling your mother and father! They won't let you do this to me! They love me and want me to be happy!"

Smiling in concern I gently told her, "Yeah. You do that. I dare you. Although they have tried to make the best of this situation my parents don't really like you anymore. That whole imprint crap really doesn't work for the Clearwaters. We're stronger than just accepting 'fate' and we certainly don't think that fucking your cousin's fiance is the way to win friends and influence people."

As Emily tried to wrap her mind around the fact that Aunt Sue and Uncle Harry don't dig her princess ass anymore, I took a bite of one of the muffins Emily kept out for guests. Holy shit it tasted like a worn out shoe that had walked through a chemical spill. I grabbed a napkin and spit it out and lobbed the wad of paper, the half chewed bite and the rest muffin into the trash.

With her bottom lip trembling Emily just stood there. I waited for about two minutes and then began to turn to start walking towards the door. My movement roused her to one last pathetic attempt to bend me to her will.

"Leah, I'll go to the council and tell everyone on the rez that you're just too pathetic to get over the fact that Sam loves me now and not you. And the council will make you do what I want since I'm the Alpha's imprint."

"Oh, Emily. You really need to keep up with things and pay attention. Who do you think really gives a shit about your wedding who's on the council? My father, my Alpha's father and my great-uncle Old Quil?" I gifted her with a pitying smile and continued, "As to the gossip, I'm pretty sure if you would stop making inedible muffins for an hour a day and got out on the rez you would realize that everyone knows I'm over Sam. I'm thinking that they figured it out after Mrs. Barlow found me and Paul fucking in the back room of the Old Salt Bar or when Sylvie Cloud found me sucking Paul off in the bathroom of the community center before the last council meeting or when everybody and their brother heard Paul yell out my name when he came while fucking me in the pantry after you and Sam left your wedding shower . . . "

"Stop! You can't be serious! I would have heard if you did these horrible things and dragged our family through the mud," poor little Emily choked out. She was so pale she looked practically white. As in pale face.

"First of all there's no our family anymore. That whole familial bond was severed the first time you stuck your tongue in my fiance's mouth. Secondly, Paul and I are both Quileute and you're Makah. These are my people not yours. Do you really think that any of the people on this rez would choose the outsider Emily Young over Leah '100% Homegrown' Clearwater? And from what I'm hearing the people on the Makah rez aren't too thrilled that you're a man stealing whore."

"I'm the Alpha's imprint!" I watched the bitch actually stomp her foot.

"No. You're the imprint of an Alpha - not the Alpha. The Alpha that actually counts? That would be Jacob Black. Son of council member Billy Black and my Alpha."

"But Sam is still the Alpha here," Emily chortled triumpantly.

"But for how long? Until Jacob decides to get serious. Could be a year or three years but you, my dear, are in a temporary position. I recommend that you remember that fact and make a life for yourself outside of being the 'Alpha's imprint'."

Putting her full faux sympathy into her voice, Emily changed tact. "Leah, if you've really gotten over Sam with Paul I would have heard. Just as I would have heard if you did those tacking things with Paul . . . "

Holding up my hand to stop her, I asked Emily, " Who would tell you anything about me and Paul? Let's think about that shall we? Sam? He wouldn't want to upset his imprint. Another wolf? They're horny guys who don't find that kind of behavior offensive and, let's face it, are hoping to see a money shot. Another imprint? Kim's all over Jared 24/7 and they've been seen at one time or another by the whole rez, most of Forks and more than a few Canadian tourists passing through the area. Clair's not even in kindergarden and totally unware. Thank God. So who would burst your little bridal bubble? My parents aren't thrilled but I'm over 18 and living with the guy. So who exactly would you think would run over here to the enchanted cottage to tell you the latest gossip?"

Running out of arguments didn't even slow down my little cousin.

"Can't you put aside your feelings for old times sake? When we were best friends and the closest of cousins?"

I snorted, "No."

Emily whined, "Why not?"

"Because we both know that really this whole bridesmaid thing is just so you can show people that you have the backing of the Clearwaters and that you must be so fucking special to get the jilted fiance to show support by being in the wedding. I'm not interested in helping you rehabilitate your reputation."

I began walking towards the front door but turned around to add, "Oh, and don't even think about asking Sam to Alpha order Paul to show up and drag me with him. Alpha orders don't work on wolves where their mates are concerned. Paul and I marked each other a while ago,'" I lifted my hair to bare my neck to show my mate's mark and I heard Emily's sharp intake of breath. I continued, "That's right, your not marked, are you? Not actually chosen. Hmm, maybe Sam will eventually choose you rather than just accept you."

Not turning around I walked out, closing the door softly behind me, and continued down the porch steps to find Paul leaning against a tree waiting for me. He'd heard everything.

Giving me his leering smirk my mate informed me, "Babe, you are scary. Sexy. But fucking scary too." He grabbed me into a hug, holding my head into his broad chest, rubbing the mark on my neck and told me, "A thousand times I choose you my little silver she-wolf. Nothing can separate us and that is our choice. Not some fucked up thing we have to accept. You're it for me because I say so. Now let's go get naked and have some woodland sexy time."

Paul always says the perfect things to me.