Bonded

Chapter 10

Leah, this is ridiculous. What are you thinking? Jacob and I had been telepathically arguing for about an hour. In the time it took for me to tell Sam and Jacob that we would have to handle this physically to the time it took me to get dressed to the time it took for them to follow me up to the cliffs, Jacob and I were arguing.

What am I thinking? You know what I'm thinking. I'm fucking over this, so I'm handling it. I rolled my eyes, feeling the strain of the incline in my calves. I wrung my hands nervously as I felt Jacob and Sam's combined anxious energy surge through me. Sam hadn't spoken a word since we left my house. He was trying to figure out if I was actually going to fight him or not. The truth was...I only kind of had a plan. I was just sick of all of the fighting.

I'm not going to fight you, Leah! Jacob huffed behind me. This whole idea is—

This isn't up for negotiation, Jacob.

"How much farther?" Sam asked, looking around. We weren't lost. I just needed to stall for time. I didn't answer him and continued to walk up the hill. When we made it to the top of the cliff, I stopped and turned around. Pulling the hood of my jacket up to protect my hair from the rain, I looked at both of the boys in front of me. Both of them confused and a little afraid. Good. Sam scratched the back of his head, looking at the ground. "What are we doing up here, Leah?"

I folded my arms and leaned my weight on one foot. "You already know what we're doing up here."

"I'm not going to fight you, Leah." Jacob repeated.

"Since it's very clear that you both want to act like animals, we're going to handle this like animals." I started to stretch my arms out, hearing my shoulder pop. Being a wolf has been hard on my joints. "Sam, you obviously have an issue with the way Jacob and I want to serve the pack, so let's settle this the way they used to."

"I don't have a problem with how you want to serve!" Sam exclaimed. "I have a problem with the fact that Black brought you into this...this...this Alpha Bonding business!"

Jacob whipped around to face Sam. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Uley? You, of all people, know that Leah will do whatever the fuck she wants."

"It's not safe," Sam said, standing his ground. "She could get hurt."

"My safety is none of your concern. I'm not an imprint. I'm a wolf, just like you. And it's not like I haven't been in battle under you before. So, you have absolutely no right to be fighting this change so hard, Sam."

Sam cursed under his breath. "I'm not going to fight you. Either of you."

"You had no fucking problem challenging me before," Jacob mumbled, folding his arms. "Keep that same energy, Sam," he said a bit clearer.

Sam rolled his eyes and scoffed. "So I'm just supposed to sit back and let this happen? Let you all do this Bond thing and then what?"

"Then we pick up where you left off, dumbass," Jacob said, annoyed. "We protect the tribe at whatever cost. Leah and I know what we're doing."

Sam gazed at me before turning to Jacob. "That's not what I'm talking about. I mean, what happens when you imprint? And you leave her. Then what?"

It didn't take a mind reader to understand that Sam was afraid that Jacob would hurt me in the same way he did. That's what this was about.

Jacob snorted. "I'm not you, Sam. The Elders told me I wouldn't imprint."

"They said you probably wouldn't imprint. It's still possible." Sam corrected. "Face it, Black. We're not that different."