Dinner
Leah tapped the counter irritably as she stared down at her cell phone.
It shouldn’t be this hard.
It was sooo easy for everyone else.
Sam and Emily just fell in love.
Quil became obsessed with his weird fucking baby imprint.
Jared and Kim got together immediately.
It figured that Leah was the wolf with the fucked up imprint.
It could be worse, it could be a fucking baby, she reminded herself.
In which case Leah would give suicide a real shot- pun intended.
Harry wasn’t a terrible choice of an imprint, she supposed. If she had to have a soulmate, he was decent enough so far. Yeah, he hung out with Jacob’s friends quite a bit, but Leah figured Seth liked him and Seth usually (vampires notwithstanding) was a good judge of character.
Even Paul and Jared hung out with Harry at some bon fire party on the beach last weekend. Which Leah got to hear all about from Jared while he tried to talk her into attending the next one while they ran patrol the day after the party.
Somehow her having imprinted on the mysterious British guy that was distantly related to the Black’s had made Leah approachable.
Which was the worst part of it really.
Well, that and the fact that something got fucked up because Leah’s imprint did not instantly fall in love with her like the other guys’ did. Did it matter that Harry was a guy? Was love at first sight not a thing for guys?
Not that Leah would claim to be in love with Harry. He was good-looking though, with his lean build and hair that was as dark as Leah’s but a thicker and wavier texture. He carried himself confidently too, she didn’t even notice that she was a couple inches taller than him until they were side-by-side from the way Harry carried himself.
And he was polite, which was probably a good trait to have and one that Leah didn’t bother with. It was always small smiles and ‘please’ and ‘thank-you’ when he saw her at the diner. Even her mom, who Seth tattled to of course, commented that Harry seemed like a ‘good man’.
She said that about Sam too though, so Leah didn’t put a lot of stock in her opinion anymore.
Everyone else seemed to like Harry though. Seth gushed about him so much that you’d think Seth was the one who imprinted on him. Nobody knew a lot about him, just that he was in town for an undetermined amount of time and claimed he ‘needed a break’ from London.
Whatever the fuck that meant.
Even as much as she struggled with making her imprint want to be around her, it seemed like he was taking over her every waking thought and it was pissing her off.
She’d be frying up burgers for some of the regulars and find herself wondering what Harry was doing.
She’d be running patrols and wonder if she could sneak past his motel to see if he was there.
A stupid thought that flashed through her mind and Jared found hysterical until Leah bit his shoulder in retaliation.
The worst of it though was when she slept. She’d be dreaming of running through the woods, kayaking in the water, practicing layups at the gym, then it would be firm abs beneath her hands, thick hair tangled in her fingers, smooth skin wrapped around her, and lust and love filling those bright green eyes as he watched her move in tangent with him.
Leah was really starting to hate those fucking eyes.
Leah tapped the counter again before just snatching her phone and typing out a short message and pressing send before she could question it too much.
‘Are you free tonight?’ seemed straightforward.
It was a Friday night, but it wasn’t like Harry had a lot of friends here outside of the pack. Supposedly, he was single too. Leah was skeptical, considering he looked like a damn movie star with his bright smiles and perfectly ‘just got laid’ hairdo, but if he wasn’t single already, he’d better be soon.
God forbid she’d imprinted on some random guy and ruined a relationship.
Seth swore he was single, he said that Harry’s ex-girlfriend lived in England along with his other friends and family. Seth, apparently, decided that he and Harry were going to be brothers eventually and made it his mission to find out as much about him as he could and then pass that information to Leah.
Leah definitely never asked him to do that, but she listened carefully anyway.
Harry became a cop right out of school. His best friend, and the ex-girlfriend’s brother, was also a cop. The best friend was engaged to Harry’s other best friend, some girl-genius with a dumb name who was studying law. Harry’s parents had died when he was a baby, and his godfather died when he was fifteen. Harry himself was a godparent to a ‘cute little boy’ named Teddy. Apparently Harry had been all too happy to show Seth and the others a photo he carried of himself, Teddy, and Teddy’s parents.
Apparently the pink-haired woman was a cop as well and the kid’s dad was a teacher at Harry’s old school. Seth said they were ‘the closest thing to a real family that Harry had left’.
Which was sad.
Leah had, carefully and with as much disinterest as she could feint, asked Seth about Harry’s plans and Seth said that Harry was thinking about looking for an apartment and a job in Forks, much to everyone’s displeasure. Nobody wanted a Black relation, no matter how distant, to live in Forks. And, as much as they all usually only tolerated Leah, the pack also didn’t want her imprint living in the same town as the fucking leeches.
Leah, personally, was offended that Harry would rather live in Forks where everything stunk like vampires, than share an apartment with her. But there had probably been a better way to ask him to move in than just blurting it out like an idiot.
God. She didn’t even know why she’d said it like that. She just pictured him sleeping in the shitty little motel right on the edge of La Push and suddenly made the offer.
He didn’t even know her.
It had been pretty funny though when he said that he could be a serial killer. Leah said it like a joke, but she figured the odds of both of them being killers was pretty slim.
Not that vampires should count as ‘kills’, per say, since they were already dead, but Leah doubted if one human guy was dangerous to her.
Ding!
Leah looked around the diner and was relieved to see it was empty so nobody could laugh about how quickly she dove for her phone.
Unless being really bad at Xbox is a crime worthy of prison, I’m free every night.
Leah’s lips turned up at the edges just a little. That was one thing she’d learned on her own, just from their little interactions at the diner and when Leah saw him around town sometimes, Harry had a decent sense of humor. And, to her absolute shock, he didn’t seem turned off by her heavy sarcasm that seemed to flow naturally from her.
Leah smirked a little as she typed out a reply.
You tell me, officer.
She jumped up on the counter and sat while she waited for his, thankfully quick, response.
It is in London. Punishment carries 3-5 years.
Leah huffed out a laugh. He was an idiot.
If you’re interested in being a fugitive from the law, come over to my place tonight and I’ll make you dinner.
Why?
Because I’m a wolf and I’ve imprinted on you. You’re supposed to be my soul mate and I shouldn’t have to be talking you into falling in love with me.
Yeah, that would go over great.
Technically, Harry could be told about the wolves and the pack now, since he was included by being the unlucky bastard stuck with Leah, but Leah made everyone swear not to tell him until she was ready. God forbid he just sticks around because he thinks he has to.
Leah had enough pity to last a lifetime, thanks.
Because I’m sick of cooking you dinner at the diner. 825 Main Street, Apt B. 7pm. You don’t even have to tip.
That… Leah frowned at her phone after she sent the text. That seemed a little more aggressive than she meant for it to.
Why was this so easy for everyone else?!
Ding!
Leah took a deep breath before she opened the text.
Then she immediately laughed.
Not tipping feels like a trap.
But I’ll be there.
See you tonight.
What an idiot.
Leah checked her reflection once more in the mirror over her bathroom sink when there was a knock on her door. She tugged on one of the strands of hair that ended at her chin and frowned.
It was hard to look attractive when your hair was shorter than some of the guys’ hair. Leah used to love her hair. It had been long and silky and she took good care of it.
Then she phased for the first time and found out that hair length directly coordinated with the length of her fur and she’d chopped her hair off while she cried over her shitty life the next day.
Leah scowled at herself. She shouldn’t have to worry about ‘looking attractive’, Harry should just find her attractive.
They were supposed to be fucking soulmates.
Still though… Leah would deny it until the day she died, but she had put a bit of effort in what she wore for dinner tonight. She’d put on a pair of her jeans that were comfortable and made her ass look fantastic and paired it with a V-cut sleeveless shirt that offset her dark skin nicely.
She’d even put on a very little bit of lipstick and mascara.
And if Harry didn’t fall in love with her tonight then Leah would never again wear anything aside from basketball shorts and old t-shirts.
Leah opened the door and felt immediately vindicated by her (admittedly minimal) efforts.
Harry’s eyes went wide behind his black-rimmed glasses and Leah saw his eyes flick down toward her chest before he quickly looked back up at her eyes with the most ridiculous blush.
As if she wore a low cut shirt and a ‘booster bra’, as her mom called it, to not have him check her out.
“Hey,” she smirked smugly at his look of surprise before slowly, and obviously, checking him out.
He looked great, but he always did.
The bastard.
He was a little more dressed up than usual, in a pair of faded jeans that looked expensive with a nice black cotton shirt that went well with his developing tan. It had short sleeves that were a bit snug on his toned arms; it also showed off a few scars that Leah never noticed before.
All in all, Harry should have been a fucking movie star or Calvin Klein model instead of a cop.
What a waste.
Harry pulled his arm out from behind his back and surprised Leah with a clear crystal vase with a single, perfect, sunflower in it.
“This is for you?” he said uncertainly when Leah just gaped at it. “Er… you’re not allergic are you? I asked Seth what your favorite flower was and he said sunflowers, but I just realized he’s a bit of a prat sometimes and maybe it was a joke and—”
“Shh,” Leah told him, rolling her eyes and accepting the vase with a small grin. “I’m not allergic, dumbass, I love it. Thanks.”
Harry grinned, a crooked little grin, and followed her in through the living room to the little kitchen.
“See what you’re missing?” Leah said with a smirk over her shoulder as she put the vase on the windowsill.
She didn’t miss that Harry’s eyes were on her ass before he looked up at her face with a guilty grin.
“What am I missing, exactly?” Harry asked as he casually took a seat at the little folding table and chairs that Leah borrowed from her mom specifically for tonight. Leah usually ate dinner with her mom and Seth or in front of the tv, so she’d never gotten a table and chair set before.
It had been tempting, having dinner in the living room on the sofa. They could eat, watch a movie, cuddle a little… let one thing lead to another…
Leah only ruled it out because she didn’t want her fucking soulmate to think she was just an easy lay.
“All of this,” Leah spread her arms wide, indicating the five room apartment. “Two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, and a kitchen,” she said. “I don’t know why you’d want to move to a God forsaken place like Forks when I have a perfectly good apartment in need of a roommate here.”
Harry’s smiles came as easily to him as scowls did to Leah.
He smiled at her then and made a show of looking around the small apartment. “It is lovely here,” he said, “but I’d hate to move in and then move out in a month.”
Leah’s breath caught in her throat and she thought she felt a pain in her chest.
According to the legends, wolves couldn’t survive without their imprint. More than that though, she didn’t want Harry to leave.
“You’re going back to London,” she said, more of an accusation than a question.
Harry obviously picked up on the shift in her mood, because he looked uncomfortable as he shrugged. “For a bit, yeah,” he said. “I told my friends I’d only be gone a few days, and it’s been almost a month now…” he trailed off when Leah turned around and gripped the counter tightly trying to get a handle on her tumultuous emotions and her shaking hands.
She would not be another Sam.
She would not phase in her kitchen and hurt Harry.
She wouldn’t.
She refused.
“Leave,” she said, her voice hoarse and little more than a growl.
“What?”
“Go!” Leah yelled, her voice masking the splintering sound as she broke the counter under her grip.
To the little bit of credit Leah was willing to give him, she heard Harry quickly leave and close the door softly behind him.
Leah was out her bedroom window and leaping down the fire escape the second she saw Harry left.
The first of the traitorous tears hit her cheeks before she could phase to avoid them.
Her last thought as a human was of fucking course the freaky she-wolf got a defective imprint.
Her first thought as a wolf was anger at herself for ruining her favorite jeans.
Not that it mattered.
If Harry left then Leah would be cursed to a painfully short life.
She hoped that losing her imprint killed her sooner rather than later.
Don’t think like that.
Terrific. And she had company.
Granted, Paul and Quil were the least annoying of the choices, but that didn’t mean much.
Tell him, Leah, Quil said, ignoring the jab as Leah began running and trying to block out the disastrous ‘date’.
Harry brought her a damn sunflower and she kicked him out without even feeding him.
The poor guy lived in a fucking motel.
Fuck off, Leah snarled mentally.
Go with him, Paul suggested. We can get you a passport.
SHUT THE FUCK UP, Leah mentally yelled. I cannot leave my mom and Seth!
As Leah’s mind was flooded with the memories of her mom’s absolute misery and devastation after her dad passed, the boys went thankfully silent and let Leah mope in peace.
Quil offered one more piece of ‘support’ before he phased back at the end of his shift.
I know everything will work out somehow, Leah, he said gently through their mental connection. He’s your soulmate. It has to.
What the fuck did Quil know? He imprinted on a god damned baby.