rebel | leah clearwater

19

Leah slowly stands, glaring at Jacob. "Should have been discussed?" She says slowly, glaring at him. Everyone else is dead silent. "Like it should have been discussed when you told Bella? Or when you volunteered us to save her in a battle that isn't ours? Or when you divided the packs to protect her and her spawn? When you imprinted on her kid? Like when you signed us up AGAIN for a battle that wasn't ours? You wanna pick one of those to discuss?" She yells.

Arlo scrambles to stand. "Leah!" He warns, grabbing her arm.

She shakes him off and points at Jacob, inches from his face as he looks up at her and she bends over to face him, eye to eye. "You do not get a say in my life. None of you do!" She yells. "I may be the only female in this pack but that does not make me any less of a member!" She yells more.

Arlo goes silent, like everyone else, knowing this has been a long time coming.

Leah crouches to Jacob's level, her eyes hard and her jaw tense. "Go on, alpha, what else do you have to say." She snarls.

Jacob is quiet for a moment. "Don't use that tone with me." He says lowly. "You can't act like you're alone in this pack-"

Leah laughs loudly. "Oh! Rich, coming from you. Shall I reiterate examples 1 through 100 again?" She snaps. "Since when is imprinting a pack decision? It wasn't for Sam, it wasn't when he ruined my life and tore my cousin to pieces. It wasn't when I killed my dad from phasing and I suddenly became property. It wasn't when you did everything for Bella and your imprint. Or when Quil imprinted on a 3 year old. Or when Jared found Kim. Was it? Was it!?" She yells.

"Leah, cmon, that's enough." Seth says quietly.

She stands. "NO! NO IT ISN'T ENOUGH!" She yells, tearing. "None of it is every going to be enough from me, is it!! I've given everything to this pack, I even stayed away from Arlo as best I could at first because I was being a brainwashed pup like everyone else and trying to do as I was told!" She cries, looking at everyone. "Where was everyone rushing to help me? To save MY mate when he needed it? When I needed it? You wanna talk about being a pack? We certainly haven't got one! You, Jacob, have a bunch of brainless teenagers who lick your ass all day and do what you say. You are all so fucking selfish and I'm so done with you all. I reject this pack." She snaps, turning and walking away.

Everyone is silent for a moment, Arlo looking at them all. He silent hobbles after Leah, carrying his crutches as it'll be faster. "Babe-"

"No! I need to run!" She cries, rushing into the trees.

He sighs and leans on the truck, listening. He hears her phase, then her heavy paws hitting the ground; he waits for the noise to fade before he turns and climbs in the truck, wincing as he hears her pained howl. Her hurting makes him hurt.

Sue jogs over to the truck and taps the window, Arlo rolling it down. "Do you need a ride? You shouldn't be driving."

"I'll be fine." He forces a smile.

She nods small. "Arlo? Tell her I love her. I didn't know how deeply she felt all of this... I'll be by soon to see her, okay?"

He nods and smiles warmly, backing out and heading home. He doesn't put music on, he leaves the window open blowing icy air on his face, and he drives at the speed limit - all unusual things for him. As he's driving, he gets a sudden sharp pain in his side and he gasps, crying out as he instantly reacts by hugging himself. He pulls over, gasping as he grits his teeth. The pain grows worse and worse and, soon, his vision blacks out...

-

Leah lays in the long, cool grass as she stares at the starry sky above, closing her eyes again. She's been laid here for a while to relax, destress, gather her thoughts. She's been bottling so much up and with Arthur's health on the line... Well, she isn't the most stable wolf on the best of days but with her mate at risk, she's certainly no better.

Her ears twitch as she hears someone coming, instantly sitting up. "I swear to God-" she begins to yell.

Jacob emerges from the trees in just shorts, worry evident on his face. "Leah, whatever you have against me can wait-"

"No it can't Jacob, didn't you hear me? You're rejected. You're no longer my alpha, you can't tell me what to do-" Leah begins to shake with anger.

"Leah!" Jacob snaps. "Arlo is at the hospital." He says loudly.

Leah goes cold. So very cold. Like she stood outside in the snow when she was 5 without a jacket just to see how cold she could get and her mom went crazy. She freezes all movements, the shaking ceasing, as her mind tries to process it. Arlo. Hospital. Her ears ring with those words. And, in the few seconds this happens, she phases without a thought, her clothes shredding onto the floor.

She begins to run, Jacob hot on her heels as she runs faster than she ever has. Her heart is racing, something it hasn't done since she were human, and her thoughts are uncontrollable. She just about makes out Jacob saying Sue will bring some spare clothes, but she doesn't pay attention. That isn't important - getting to her Arlo is. She shouldn't have left him.

Sam and Paul block her path, a half mile from the hospital. She snarls, hunching back to tackle one of them. "Leah! You have to phase and run, you can't risk being seen." Sam tries to reason, jumping back as she snaps her jaws at him. "Leah! I know how you feel! I know the urgency, the pain. The cold. The uncontrollably thump of your heart!" He snaps. Leah whines, slowly backing up. "I know. Phase, change and we'll run together to the hospital. Everyone's here for you." He promises, setting a pile of clothes down.

Leah only wastes a second phasing before she's grabbing the clothes. Sam and Paul groan and turn away, Leah suppressing an eye roll as she yanks her shorts on. She doesn't waste a breath on them before she takes off running on foot, both on her heels in a second, pushing herself as fast as she can. In minutes she's running into the hospital, looking around.

"Carlisle!" She yells as she spots him down the hall.

"This way." He calls, walking quickly away, not stopping.

She catches up easily, briefly registering her old pack, her old family, all filling the waiting room. Charlie and Bella stand as Carlisle comes in, the doc taking the three of them aside. "Where is he?" Leah demands.

"He's asleep, resting." Carlisle says.

"What's going on." Charlie demands, his face worried sick. His hairs a mess from running his hands through it.

Carlisle gives them all a sad look. "His liver... Isn't working. At this point, it isn't working at all. He's critical."

Leah doesn't realise she's crying as tears stream from her eyes and onto her t-shirt. "N-no, do something. Do something!" She cries, suddenly pushing him to the wall.

Bella grabs her wrist as Sam rushes over to grab her other. "Leah!" Bella warns, gripping tighter.

"Bella, I got it." Sam says. "Let go. I got her."

Bella backs up, but not far. Carlisle is patient as Sam talks to Leah. "Leah... Carlisle is doing everything he can. I know you feel helpless and scared but you'll feel less so if you go see him. Let the doc go and he can take you." Sam reasons.

Leah shakes as she slowly let's go, the tears still falling. "I-I... I can't... Lose him." She whispers, looking at Sam.

His eyes are sad as he forces a smile. "You won't. God is good, he will do all he can. Let's go see him, come on."

Leah shakily nods, letting Sam guide her. Her body feels numb. It feels hollow. Automatic. She isn't putting any thought into anything. Sam pushes her to follow Carlisle with one hand on her back and before she knows it they're entering a private room.

Leah's breath hitches in her throat and she freezes as she sees him. Sam rubs her back. "It's hard but you'll be calmer beside him. Come on."

Leah shakily nods and slowly walks over on her own accord, sitting slowly beside him. She reaches a shaking hand out and takes his as he sleeps, his red hair a mess. She looks up as Sam begins to leave. "S-Sam?"

He looks over. "Hmm?"

"Thank you..." She whispers.

He smiles small and nods once, saying nothing else as he closes the door.