Rejection

(Third Person P.O.V.)

While Baby was using his enhanced persuasion abilities to the fullest in order to give a tiger-mom to essentially walk him into the fire. The situation downstairs had devolved into a steaming hot pile of madness that was just one spark away from combustion.

Jacob and Emmitt stared at one another, teeth bared, daring the other to make a move, rivalling Clint Eastwood on the verge of a quickdraw.

Everyone was on edge.

And to make matters more complicated, the wolves from the Quileute pack had already emerged from the tree line, legs bent, seemingly just waiting for the order to pounce before they sprung forward.

The glass that made up the walls of the majority of the house would not survive the charge.

Especially if the two wolves who accompany Jacob were already at the door, looking through the glass and were just as on edge as the Quileute pack.

Shit was about to get real.

The only question was, who would be the one to set it off.

Who would fire the proverbial gun?

Who woul...Jacob did it.

With just a single jerk of his head to move around Emmitt, before he could engage another muscle on his body, the famed hunter that Emmitt once was had already struck with a swift cross to the chest sending Jacob flying back through the air, his clothes off his body, and his human form giving way to the wolf.

If Baby were there he would say, "you should have gone for the head".

Which he should.

The wolves were at the door. The time for pulling punches was long past as soon as the wolves entered their territory. From that moment, the vamps had been operating from a position of weakness. In a negotiation, they would have already lost the opening gambit.

Luckily, this was not the cut throat world of business.

This was a fight between vampires and shifters in a universe sponsored by the same glitter than gives strippers a discount.

That might be why, when shit hit the fan and the wolves charged and the vamps braced themselves to meet their former allies and now enemies, all it took for the two sides to come to a stop was a single glance pulled to the figure held by the woman who shouted that stood atop the stairs that could be seen through the now glassless walls that were broken by the two wolves when they pounced through the glass.

If one were to paint the scene, it would show a line drawn down the middle in a house, with one side being a group of vampires standing beside one another, crouched, and baring their teeth at a group of three wolves poised to strike out at the vamps and a few feet back another group of wolves charging into the house. And then, if the painter was positioned at the top of the stairs, one would see every pair of eyes focused on the painter. Each pair wearing a different emotion in them.

Some were afraid. Some were furious. Some were resigned. Some were resolved. But it was a single pair that had baby's attention....and baby had that single pair's attention, as well.

(Leah P.O.V.)

The day started like any other.

Watching, waiting, avoiding.

That is what my life had been reduced to, ever since I became what I now am.

A shifter.

The tribe says that it's a noble cause and one that is unique to our family that forms a bond that is unbreakable....or so they thought.

Jacob proved them wrong.

It was said that he was a born alpha. The grandson of a chief. So, naturally, he was supposed to lead the pack upon his shift. But he rejected his birthright.

Now, while some might think that it's some great achievement or a ballsy move that took a lot of backbone, they could not be more wrong.

When he rejected, I was there.

I saw why he ran away from the responsibility and relinquished his duty to Sam. How he believed he could not handle the weight and that he was only a kid...and yet, that same kid, time and time again has gone against the pack. Against his duties to his people and against his alpha.

Over and over, time and time again, for Bella.

Pitiful, is the only thought I could send through our mental link every time I had to be bombarded by his angst, heartache, and unreciprocated feelings for the human who chose the bloodsucker over him without fail.

Even after she was left to essentially die in the woods and then fend for herself in the depths of depression, where according to him, he was the only comfort she could find, she still chose the bloodsucker.

And yet, he still would not let her go.

And none of us, could escape, and had to experience each and every rejection right along with him.

A part of me believes that to be the reason I couldn't get over my own rejection.

I never got the chance to properly mourn the end of my relationship, not only because of Jacob's constant bitching, but also because, unlike him, the one who rejected me was also partial to the thoughts that went through my mind in the link, as well.

It was hell.

He was allowed to bitch and moan as much as he wanted, but when I did it, the pack would act like I was going against our alpha.

He cheated on me with my cousin! I don't give a shit about an imprint, he cheated!

And I can't raise hell?!

I was drowning. Being consumed by the depths of heartache and could not find a way to vent, and then had to take on Jacob's shit as well.

That might be why, to the others, since they never really tried to understand my pain, it was a surprise when I tore away from the bond I shared with the pack to follow him.

However to me, it wasn't a surprise at all.

If I could, I would have left long ago...but only Jacob was strong enough to break the bond on his own...no matter how much of a whiner he is.

So, when I saw my chance, I took it.

What I didn't expect was for Seth to follow behind me.

That both made my heart warm and hurt at the same time.

I loved him and hated him for making me want to both keep him by my side and send him back to the place I knew he loved...no matter how much he tried to play it off like he was following Jacob. I knew he was worried for me.

That might be why, despite my conflicting feelings, I accepted his company.

And if I was being honest with myself, his presence helped.

He, unlike when it was a whole lot of us sharing the same link, was able to send compassion and understanding through our bond.

And it helped.

I could feel myself healing. Little by little. No matter how strong Jacob's thoughts and feelings were, they were nothing compared to the onslaught that was the entire pack channeling each other. And my mind was finally feeling a semblance of peace.

For a brief moment.

And then, he caught the scent of blood upon his return to the Cullen's and all thoughts of peace were gone.

Only red remained.

He was incensed and it fed straight through the link to both Seth and myself.

The war was on...despite the fact that only a few of us actually believed that there was a need for bloodshed in the first place.

I mean, I hate the bloodsuckers as much as the next girl. But, as far as I could see, the girl made her own choice, and only time would tell what would come of the spawn from such a union. But hate and fear won in the end.

Sam's feelings had seeped through the link empowering the negative emotions of the few who did not want war...and now Jacob was the same.

So, I charged.

Ready to tear into the pale faces and show them the superiority of wolves...............................

And then, time stopped.

My last coherent thought before a future unfolded before my eyes of every single possibility that was and could be played out was, is that the baby?