Sometimes people could be a little too predictable. What did the majority of the shifters do on their day off, despite the various feelings about Jake taking off from the pack? Go hang out at Emily’s. Again. Like there wasn’t a million other things any of them could be doing instead of the one thing Leah knew would likely make the situation hit harder than anything. Oh well. Although the Quileute young woman rolled her eyes to herself, she wasn’t about to let that be her problem. Not today. Besides, it wasn’t like anyone was very interested in what she thought of it all, apparently lacking fury over the split as well as the need to whine over the giant Jake-sized hole in the room. The guy didn’t die, he just won the girl he loved from a leech, made it out of the kind of torture Leah was all too familiar with that involved the one person that was wanted most being the very thing that couldn’t be had, and he was strong enough to realize that the words of Sam Uley didn’t have to be his law if he didn’t want it to be.

It was a gutsy move Leah would have found almost admirable if that hadn’t meant Jacob was on his own. Without anyone to watch his back. But she digressed.

As a light breeze blew cool air at her, she used a hand to get some of her dark hair out her face and her legs carried her to her destination. Although it wasn’t a rare day of true sunshine without even thin clouds covering up the sun constantly, Leah needed someplace to think and clear her head before she had to phase again, facing an onslaught of thoughts from Sam and the rest of his pack, so First Beach had sounded like a good place for a good walk minus drama at the time she got idea. There was always something about being near the water and on the sand that made her want to lose herself in the setting while she out towards where the water seemed to meet the sky. More often than not, when she normally got the chance to settle on a blanket there and just watch the waves crash, people interrupted. It was as much a little annoying as it was nothing to do with her actually being there, so when it seem like there was a strong possibility she could get any true alone time for once… she seized the opportunity before it was gone.

When she got there, she started at one end of the beach and slowly walked down to the other. Every so often she’d stop for a moment. Her eyes would squint and Leah would look around, her focus more on breathing than anything in her sight. Life wasn’t fair, she knew that better than many. It seemed like one minute she had a guy that she loved and who was in love her, the next he was with a girl that was the closest thing she had to a sister of all people. Leah knew it wasn’t that simple and that it really wasn’t anyone’s fault, but that didn’t make it hurt any less for better. Because while Sam’s feeling had changed more when he shifted and imprinted on Emily, hers hadn’t. Worse, she couldn’t exactly leave it alone or be away from Sam because there hadn’t be choice when she and her little brother had phased too. No real freedom, just a part of her that couldn’t help but sometimes wonder if her being a wolf too meant something was wrong with her. But with Jake going off by himself, there was another part of Leah that thought maybe there was still a small piece of hope of freedom for her.

Low and behold, the second her thoughts came back around to Jacob, there he was. Not too far off, skipping stone by the looks and sounds. She have turned around and left. Sam was doing a good job of making sure most wolves stayed clear of the guy. But he also wasn’t around to bark at her for it either and she wasn’t in wolf form so she didn’t the see the point in changing her course. What was the worst that could happen? The she was told to go away or leave? Leah shook her head to herself and blew some air out of her nose in a short, quick, nearly silent snort. If that was the case, it wouldn’t be the first nor the last time she heard it. “Relax, Lone Alpha,” she told him as she got nearer, her arms folded across her chest. “If I was here to bite, I would’ve done it by now.” Not the confidence-building best greeting of reassurance she wasn’t there to pick a fight, but that was all she had in her at the moment. She might have said she came in peace, but that one might’ve given the other wolf the urge to check if she’d been replaced by an alien.

Sorry for the ramble! ><