The One

Chapter Six: Miley

Two weeks later, my chest had scars on it. They were very evident, because most of my shirts were meant to go under see through shirts.

Mom had gotten all riled up, asked me what had possessed me to ride Jake's mororcycle. I told her it wouldn't happen again, and that she shouldn't bring it up to anyone because it truly was nothing.

I told her that Jake didn't know I'd used his bike, and that he didn't need to know.

"Miley Annabelle Caitlin Clearwater!" Leah yelled at the top of her lungs once she got back from Kim's. "What is this about you riding Jacob Black's motorcycle, wiping out and being in Dr. Cullen's care for two weeks!"

"I...felt like being crazy?" I suggested weakly.

"YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN YOURSELF KILLED!" She shouted. "And Jake didn't even know!"

"Chill, Lee," I told her. "I'm not dead, Jake's bike is fine, and-"

"You are not fine, Miley! Look at your chest! Those will be around for another ten to twenty years, assuming they even go away!" She was screaming at the top of her lungs.

"You think I don't know that? I have to live with these scars! I had to experience the pain of it, and it's my fault! If I'd just included Seth in everything I did, he wouldn't have felt left out and wouldn't have attacked me!" I covered my mouth immediately. Sam's cover story wouldn't work after this, if Leah told Mom and Dad.

"Seth Charles Clearwater! Get your ass in here!" Leah growled loudly. "Now!"

Seth came into my room. His face paled when he saw Leah shaking wildly.

I started shaking rapidly when I realized what she wanted. We both screamed out at the same and I could hear bones breaking.

"Seth, run! Get Sam!" I screeched in pain. "Now, Seth! Run!"

The hairs on my legs turned to fur, and my arms extended into furry legs. Leah was a beautiful grey wolf. The pain was still there.

Stay away from him, Leah! I growled and lunged at her. He didn't mean it!

He hurt you, Miley!
It's my decision on what should happen to him, Leah! Back off before you get hurt. I growled and pulled my shackles back.

"Stop it. Both of you!" Sam shouted.

Hurt flashed in Leah's eyes and she pushed me off and lunged at him. I pushed her into the wall. He's off limits, too. BACK OFF.

Leah growled and ran past Sam and down the stairs of the house. She ran into the forest.

"Let her go, Miley. She needs time to process all this." Sam barked. "That's an order."

I remembered what Jared had told Seth. "Imagine yourself as a human, as what you would look like in the mirror. Imagine that, and you'll phase back. It's gonna hurt like a mother the first time, but you'll be fine."

I ran into the bathroom-which was a tight squeeze-and imagined myself as a human. I bit my lip to keep from screaming out from the physical pain. I had nothing on, so I quickly changed into Seth's shorts and AC/DC shirt that sat on the counter.

Every bone in my body ached, and I felt like I'd gone twelve rounds with a Minotaur.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked me once I plopped painfully onto the couch.

"I need pain relievers, Sam. I am not okay. Every bone in my body aches and I just feel like dying!" I growled.

"Whoa, Smiley, calm down." Sam backed away. "Emily has some at the house, get on my back. I'll bring you over there."

I climbed onto Sam's back and he ran me over to his place.

"First Black, then Seth. Now you?" Embry asked.

"Leah too." I replied. The most horrific thought occured to me. Quil lost all his friends to the gene.

"I know what you're thinking, Miley." Emily told me as she gave me Tylenol. "Old man Quil had the gene, maybe his grandson does as well."

"What do you mean, had?" I asked.

"The Cullens left for nearly a year before old man Ateara stopped phasing. All the others did as well. Once the Cullens resurfaced, Sam phased. The pack slowly started growing, first Jared and then Paul. Jacob joined up. Then Seth. Then Embry, now you and Leah." She explained. "Quil's left with no friends. He'll make new ones he might have to leave behind. Don't worry about him."

I hoped she was right. I didn't want to put Quil through what I put Embry, Leah, and Seth through by keeping the gene and the pack a secret until it was too late and they'd joined up.

I had already caused enough pain to the ones I loved most. I didn't want to cause any more pain to them.