While gazing up at her ceiling with tired eyes, Leah was surprised to feel how sore her body was. Normally, accelerated healing meant she didn't have to experience many types of discomfort. Aside from occasional fatigue caused by lengthy patrols, the supernatural blood flowing through her veins made it nearly impossible to suffer from the daily aches and pains normal humans went through.

Brad certainly hadn't held back after they fell into bed together last night.

He started out slow, gentle, and, unsurprisingly, very courteous. His wandering hands were slow when he took the reins to undress, caress, and delicately fondle. There was a bit of timidity in his actions at first—as if, beneath his confidence, a small pang of nervousness resided. After getting the go ahead to let loose, though...

Well, the best word Leah could use to describe her encounter was intense.

It was honestly mind-boggling how Brad, with his sweet smile, kind eyes, soft spoken voice, and polite mannerisms, completely flipped a switch at the drop of a hat. The downright adorable man Leah had been spending so much time with showed an extremely different side of himself. He was teasing, dominant, commanding, ferocious. Each article of clothing removed worked to awaken a feral creature. Each shiver or tremble was met with a cocky, attractive smirk. When quiet moans were partially stifled out of embarrassment, he had no issues in forcing them out, along with shattering Leah's ability to remain coherent or lucid, by becoming more aggressive in his gestures.

Truth be told, no one had ever made Leah feel so much pleasure before. Previous bed partners usually had her assume the role of authoritative figure because of how she carried herself. A stubborn, unwavering resolve made other people view Leah as the type of girl to give orders rather than receive them. She was one to overpower instead of being subdued.

Brad, on the other hand...

He tossed that sentiment right out the damn window.

And the fact that Leah was still able to feel remnants of last night—shown via a deep seated ache in her hands, back, hips, and thighs—was nothing short of mesmerizing.

Upon sitting up, it was immediately noticed how the bed's headboard was missing. Long scratch marks could be seen embedded in several spots on the wall. Similar ones were seen in the mattress as well, fluffy memory foam seeping out. The dresser was missing its legs with shards of split wood fragments bunched in a tiny pile on the floor. The door was just gone, having been replaced by a pinned up curtain.

Leah wasn't surprised in the slightest to see her room in such disarray considering how...active things ended up.

Breathing out a small laugh, she slipped on a pair of women's boxers to shield her more intimate areas. A too large plaid button-up was draped over her torso as well, the garment smelling of sweet copper, apples, and vanilla.

It was a familiar, alluring scent which came from the kitchen too, along with the sound of cooking food, light singing, and quiet reggaeton. 

Leah had to brace herself against the wall to keep from toppling over as she walked.

She caught sight of Brad standing in front of the counter by the sink. He had a pan in one hand with a spatula in the other, seemingly plating whatever he'd just been making. His hips swayed in time with the music playing from his phone on the dining table.

Leah shamelessly gawked at her imprint's physique. Since he was only wearing a pair of formfitting boxer briefs, the tight muscles in his shoulders, triceps, back, glutes, and legs were on full display. Rays of sunlight filtered inside through the open windows, causing his beautiful tan skin to sparkle.

Taking a satisfied inhale, Brad turned around with a stunning grin. "Hola, hermosa."

Leah couldn't control a soft warmth which spread through her chest. "Morning, Rafa."

"Just finished making some brown sugar pancakes with fried eggs and bacon. I was about to finish with a brew of Spanish coffee. Go and sit. I'll serve you."

"I appreciate it."

Leah brought her arms to stretch above her head. Delectable cracks traveled up the entirety of her spine. She stretched her neck out in an attempt to get rid of a persistent knot. One of the paddings on the seat closest to her was taken to double up for extra cushioning before sitting down.

Her plate and utensils were set in front of her. "Enjoy, princesa."

Leah shifted her gaze with the intention of giving her imprint a quick kiss.

She froze when noticing a fierce, purplish-red bite mark embedded in the flesh of his neck.

"Did- did I do that?"

Playful golden eyes peered into surprised brown ones. "You did. It was closer to the end of the night. I had you in my lap, and you were holding onto me for dear life. I pushed you over the edge again, and you reacted so strong, you bit me. That's how I ended up breaking the bed. Which will be replaced, by the way. Along with...everything else."

"You don't-" Leah cleared her throat when her voice came out as a high pitched squeak. "You don't have to spend your money on that. I can always make-do with what I have."

"It's no big deal. But I didn't mean to replace your things by buying more. I can fix your room up myself. I'm pretty good with my hands."

Leah was well aware of that fact now. Her eyes silently traced over the pronounced veins running up her imprint's arms.

"So I've noticed. I'm almost jealous Marshall got to experience you before me."

Brad chuckled with a fond shake of his head. "Believe it or not, when it came to Marsh, I was always pretty submissive. He's a lot more sadistic than I am. He was the one who made me realize I liked receiving as much as I liked giving."

"...I'm starting to understand why Paul doesn't mind the idea of you two having hooked up before."

"Oh? Well, color me surprised."

Brad sat down at the table as well. He took one of Leah's hands into his own, bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss. His thumb caressed her heated skin, reveling in the fact that goosebumps awoke in response to his touch.

"I hope you're not hurting too bad. I know things got kind of rough really fast."

"Eh, I'm a little sore, but it's not that bad. I feel fine overall."

"Is that so? All those fading hickeys and hand-shaped bruises say otherwise."

Leah scratched her cheek with a single finger, looking at the napkin holder with newfound interest. "...They don't hurt much. Any pain I'm feeling isn't uncomfortable, though. It...actually feels really nice."

Brad raised a single, challenging eyebrow. "Don't tempt me so early in the morning, sweetheart. As much as I'd like to make a mess out of you again, we have things to do today."

That was true—Leah had almost forgotten they were supposed to drop by the Uley house in a little while to help Marshall and Paul with wedding plans. Brad's designated job for the day was to help Marshall get together a menu, sift through a plethora of invitational cards to send to their other friends, and go over a playlist for the dance mix they wanted to have. Leah had been assigned with helping Paul gather a list of possible venues they could use for both the ceremony and the reception. She was also needed to give input, along with Emily, on the type of decorations they should have for an Enchanted Fairy Tale theme. 

With the wedding in mind, Leah realized she still hadn't considered what type of clothes she wanted to wear for such an important gathering just yet.

Maybe...

"Hey, um, if you're cool with it, would you maybe want to...wear a matching set the night of the party?" she suggested with a sheepish tone.

"If we can- it's up to Paul and Marsh. I have always preferred matching when I take a date somewhere fancy."

And just like that, her jaw dropped in genuine shock. "A date? You mean- like, as a couple? Together-together?"

"...I figured us finally having sex was telling enough. I guess I need to be a little more clear, then..."

Brad guided his hand upward, propping Leah's chin atop his cold fingertips. His gaze darted below eye level for a moment before returning to their original position. 

The softness of his expression rendered her speechless.

"I know that you've been hesitant to pursue anything with me because you wanted me to have control in terms of our relationship. So, with that in mind, I need you to understand that last night wasn't a loss-of-control type of thing. I slept with you because I wanted to feel that connection with you. Physically and emotionally. I know the whole imprint thing had a rocky start because of everything that happened with the Cullens. But I need you to know enough time has passed for me to move on from what we went through. I'm more than ready to move things forward by having you as my girlfriend. If you feel the same, we can make it official."

Leah's heart skipped a beat at the confession.

When hearing Brad's refusal of the imprint bond during the whole pregnancy scandal, her heart broke in a way she never thought possible. She believed the emotional turmoil she felt after Sam chose Emily was horrific. She thought the pain she experienced after her father died was brutal and terrifying.

Having Brad reject their newfound connection after being put in a position where he had to choose between his potential mate and his best friend was a different level of agony. One Leah thought she'd never be able to get over. Or forgive herself for causing.

But...here they were. With Brad returning her affection of his own accord.

Was this how Paul felt when Marshall accepted the imprint bond? When they took the step of becoming more than friends despite history saying they shouldn't? If so, she finally understood why they were so tethered to each other.

It was finally possible for her to truly see imprinting as a beautiful gift instead of a cursed fate.

"Yeah. I'd- I'd like that."

***

"What do you think, Em? Burgundy or maroon?" Marshall held up both swatches near his face to make it easier to see how they fared with his complexion.

Emily looked between the two pieces of colored paper with a finger tapping at her chin in thought. "Hmm...I'd say maroon. The warmer tone would look better on you and Paul. Plus, the burgundy is leaning more toward purple than red. I think the gold and black accents for your suits would go better with maroon too."

Nodding in approval, Marshall jotted down the color's palette number on a thin yellow pad. It was full of his script penmanship, certain details being separated by bullet points and different writing utensils. He'd just finished picking the main colors necessary for the wedding and was trying to gather his thoughts for a set of professionally tailored suit designs. He and Paul had agreed, as the grooms being celebrated, they should present themselves rather extravagantly. So, in order to go with their theme, they needed to put down ideas for royalty-inspired attire.

Marshall was considering the type of jewels he wanted encrusted in a few decorative trinkets when a certain pair of scents hit his nose.

Turning to glance over his shoulder, he caught sight of Brad and Leah walking toward the house. They were close together, an arm wrapped around her shoulders and a hand settled on his waist. Joyful laughter followed them as Brad regaled a funny story concerning the time he brought Marshall to a bouncy house obstacle course for his birthday one year. Their eyes shone with mirth, a delicate softness befalling their features when taking a second to simply watch the other person.

As someone who was experiencing the ultimate, rarest form of the Quileute imprint bond, Marshall was delighted to see his friends getting an opportunity to bask in the ethereal warmth of their own otherworldly connection.

They deserved to after going through a particularly taxing set of hardships.

Marshall offered a cheeky grin and wiggle of the eyebrows once his companions walked in. "Finally hopped aboard the taken train, huh? Ooh, and judging from your scent, you've been marked too. Guess we're officially twinsies, pendejo."

"Twinsies for life, cabrón." Brad chuckled, leaning over the back of his friend's chair to give him a kiss on the cheek. "I hope we haven't missed too much."

"Not at all- we were just getting started."

Marshall rose to his feet with a few miscellaneous items in hand. He motioned for Leah to take his chair since he could tell she was still tired.

She accepted it with a grateful hug before sitting down next to Emily. Both women shared their own embrace and fell into a lighthearted conversation with each other to get the ball rolling. 

Marshall and Brad situated themselves on the comfortable bench a little ways away from the front door. The notepad from earlier was set between them, along with a few highlighters, multicolored pens, page markers, and stickers. The two faced each other, sitting crisscross style with fluffy pillows propped behind their backs.

"Okay, so!" Marshall flipped to a new blank page. "Paul and I were thinking of doing a three category list for music: slow romance for walking down the aisle and our first dance; a kind of, like, jazzy, big band type of thing for when everyone is sitting down to eat; and then really upbeat, energetic stuff for when we want to fill up the dance floor."

"Gotcha, gotcha, that makes sense. Are you guys considering something like a waltz to keep with the theme for your first dance? Or does it not matter?

"We're open to anything, really. We have a few contenders to sift through, if you want to take a look with me."

Paul stole a quick glance at both vampires, bringing his attention back to a laptop screen. Several papers strewn across the table were nudged out of the way to clear a path. Uncovering a familiar wolf-inspired case, Paul grabbed his phone. It was tossed in a nonchalant manner toward his husband.

Then, an unimpressed sigh was given to Jared who intercepted and grabbed the device himself. Instead of handing it to Marshall as expected, he awoke Paul's phone, being met with a picture of the vampire cuddling with his black and neon plush cat, Leaf, in his sleep.

A short passcode was typed in.

"Don't do it."

"Put it down."

"If you don't want to be mentally scarred, hand it over."

Marshall, Brad, and Paul all gave their own warnings to Jared in order to keep him from actually unlocking the device. Although Paul himself wasn't ashamed of anything he had on his phone, there were a few items he wanted to keep private. He was usually able to do so because of a blackout privacy protector, making it impossible for people around him to see what was on his screen no matter how hard they tried to peek. The only people who were actually aware of what was being hidden were the ones giving warnings to not proceed.

Jared's interest piqued at his pack mates' reactions.

"Jare, I'm serious-"

"Why are you being so secretive, dude? Got something to hide?"

"No- Marsh just needs to see my music app for the song list. Besides, my homescreen-"

Jared went through with unlocking the device completely. As soon as he did, his eyes widened, his face went completely red, and the phone was pressed against his chest to shield what he'd just witnessed.

"-isn't the same as my lockscreen, dumbass."

"Why- why didn't you just say that?!"

"I tried. But you were too busy trying to snoop. Stupid."

Attempting to hide his laughter, Brad made a grabbing gesture with his hand. An invisible force caused the phone to fly out of Jared's grasp, falling into Marshall's presented palm.

He spared a passing glance at the wallpaper—a tasteful, lewd picture of himself— with a faint tinge of red settling on the tips of his ears. "Anyways- music."

Playful banter continued to be traded around the room while everyone paid attention to their own appointed tasks. People bounced ideas off of each other in order to broaden their views in terms of specific details about the upcoming Lahote wedding. As a unit, it was decided how, seeing as Brad and Marshall's Denali cousins sparkled in the sunlight, the ceremony and reception would be held during the evening once the sun set. The venue chosen ended up being a rented out estate with floor to ceiling windows, sparkling chandeliers, a grand ballroom, and an outdoor garden with realistic plant sculptures. Wedding party members were expected to wear all black, except for Brad and Emily, as the best man and the matron of honor, who were going to wear outfits with red accessories.

When the topic of choosing a cake flavor was brought up, however, Marshall found his attention shifting toward the house's front door for a moment. He kept calm when picking up another approaching scent the same way he did earlier. It wasn't someone any of the pack members were expecting to come over.

At least, most of them weren't.

Marshall and Brad rose to their feet at the same time, keeping up the appearance that nothing was wrong. The latter, of course, took an opportunity to share a group text message with everyone to fill them in on what was happening. The former quietly skulked toward the house's entrance and waited.

Conversations continued like normal. Occasional laughs were shared. Alert, narrowed eyes were kept on the windows leading outside.

Marshall readied himself as he picked up the sound of a twig snapping, followed by quick feet barely hitting the ground.

Their "guest" appeared in the doorway. They were pinned to the wall by their throat less than a second later.

And away went any plans for having a peaceful afternoon.

Marshall's red eyes were full of anger, but his voice was steady. "...So you've finally decided to show your face, huh. I was beginning to think you were having second thoughts about pursuing me."

Growling, Bella picked her head up, showing off a heated glare. As expected, her eyes were also a color akin to sparkling rubies. An already pale complexion had become ever lighter, bordering on snow-white. Beneath a strong grip, it was easy to tell how the squishy, fragile body she used to have was now hard enough to rip through steel. 

Marshall wasn't scared to be in the presence of someone still in their newborn vampire phase.

Just because Bella was physically stronger didn't mean she'd have an advantage against an experienced opponent.

"I've been waiting for this," she seethed, shaking out of poorly concealed rage. "Months spent hunting and training have finally led me to you. And now, I'm going to do what I should've always done by ripping this pack to pieces-"

"No one else should be blamed for Edward's demise aside from me. I killed him. They didn't. So if you have a score you want to settle, you will do so through me and me alone."

"You-"

"Do not make me repeat myself."

Marshall's tone was enough to make everyone fall completely silent.

For Bella, it was because she'd never truly experienced the wrath of her opponent firsthand, and it was honestly a terrifying ordeal to witness. 

For the others, it was because it'd been ages since they'd seen him legitimately get angry. He hadn't really shown any negative emotions since coming back from his trip after dealing with the Cullens.

Because he'd actually changed since Bella last saw him, though, Marshall was committed to staying levelheaded. There was nothing to gain by allowing his temper to spike.

"You're angry with me. I understand that. You want revenge for me killing your husband. I understand that. Hell, if I was in your shoes, I'd probably be in the same position. But you're not about to drag a bunch of innocent people into this mess when they weren't involved."

Bella attempted to bite at the hand pushed against her windpipe. She only succeeded in getting her head slammed into the wall.

"Innocent? You want to talk about innocent?! Edward was innocent! Alice was innocent! My family- all of those people you took from me were innocent!"

Marshall almost responded with a confrontational, "They weren't your family". He didn't because he knew the Cullens were much more present in Bella's life than they were his. They cared more about her—to the point of killing anyone who threatened her and Edward's happiness. She hadn't been adopted like all the others were, but she'd been loved like she was.

Unlike Marshall.

Fortunately, he'd already made his peace with that.

Still, he couldn't stand idly by while a group of abusive manipulators were being defended by an equally horrible person.

"They weren't innocent. They lied. They hurt. They destroyed. They did everything in their power to ensure their happiness, even if it meant setting the world ablaze in the process. Just like you did. When you abandoned your daughter.

Bella froze. "I- I didn't abandon my daughter-"

"I've spoken to her. Carlisle and Esme as well. I've even spoken to Charlie. And they all said the same thing: after you woke up post-transition and realized Edward was dead, you made it your number one mission to break all of their hearts before leaving them behind to pick up their own pieces. Charlie thought he did something wrong. Renesmee thought she did something wrong. All because of your selfish desire to cause harm for your own benefit. While I understand the pain of your loss, I don't feel bad for you since your obsession, in the name of getting vengeance on Edward's behalf, has taken precedence over everything else. You could've made a new life. Could've taken the time to properly grieve and move on. But you didn't. And now, you've made the mistake of coming to face me by yourself."

Marshall honestly didn't get what Bella's thought process was in terms of going after her target. He had literal decades worth of knowledge and skill she couldn't even fathom. He was a seasoned fighter, whereas she'd never held her own in a battle before. Plus, even with the desire to keep the pack out of it, even if he didn't want them to assist, they weren't ones to stand by when one of their own were in harm's way.

Bella knew that. She was playing a losing game by doing this.

So why did she?

Marshall's train of thought was halted when unhinged laughter hit his ears.

"You really think I didn't find my own people after leaving that broken heap of a coven we used to be part of? Don't be stupid! Just like you made connections with your natural enemies, I've done the same by joining the Volturi! And believe me, they know about your involvement with the wolves! It's only a matter of time before they come knocking on your door to make things right!"

Marshall's eyes widened. His evident shock caused his grip to loosen by a small margin. 

It was all Bella needed to slip out of his grasp.

Instead of running out of the house, though, she made a beeline straight for the easiest target.

Emily.

As soon as Bella tried to make a killing strike, she was tossed onto the floor, thanks to Brad's last second utilization of his gift.

She attempted to get up in order to continue with her plan of slaughtering out of revenge.

But Bella found herself in a distressing situation when she could feel something foreign slithering around in her body, causing all of her limbs to lock up without permission.

"What- what is th-"

"You really are an idiot."

Marshall reached down to weave his hand into long brunette hair. His fingers clenched, pulling harshly. Bella's head was moved upward so violently, her neck cracked.

Peering into enraged eyes with a new sense of trepidation building in herself, she realized how much her plan just backfired.

"You know, I may be a changed man, Bella..." Marshall used his other hand to cup her face, cracks forming beneath his fingertips. "But that doesn't mean I'm weak."

"I- you-" Fearful trembles increased. "The Volturi won't stand for this-"

"You say you're following Aro- which is believable. That's something I'll be dealing with later. If he wanted you amongst his ranks, though, why did he allow you to come pursue me without any backup? It's almost as if he knew this would be a suicide mission, and that was exactly why he didn't stop you from doing something reckless."

Bella winced as the slithering sensation in her body became painful. She couldn't hold back a short scream when several long, thorny vines shot out of her back.

She looked at Marshall in a way which told him Bella would be a sniveling, snotty mess if she was still capable of crying.

"What- what're you going to do to me?"

"Me? Oh, no, Bella- in light of what you tried to pull, I've changed my mind. I'm not the one killing you. I'm not the one whose wife you just endangered. I think someone else would get more out of ending your life than I would." Marshall turned to face his alpha. "Sam. I'll stick with Emily- make sure she's okay. I'm sure you'll find a good way to get rid of the trash on my behalf."

Rising to his full height, Marshall barely reacted as Brad used his gift again to send Bella flying outside of the house. All of the wolves got out of their seats, following their leader, to deal with one of their most annoying obstacles. The front door was closed to keep anyone inside the house from seeing what was happening outside.

Ripping fabric was followed by harsh growls, fierce barks, and, finally, a cut off scream.