CHAPTER FIVE

The night of Harry Clearwater's passing left an unbearable weight on all of them, and particularly on his widow, Sue Clearwater. The pain and grief of losing her husband felt endless.

Throughout the event, Sue was given a seat amongst the elders, but it was as if she was being forced to push her grief aside. Dealing with the phasing children was becoming a burden, and it seemed like she had no time or space to fully grieve for her late husband.

Leah's guilt over Harry's passing was consuming her, leaving her overwhelmed with self-blame. This overwhelming feeling would often lead her to phase and run off, seeking some semblance of escape from the burden of her guilt.

Her avoidance of the pack, particularly Sam, was a reflection of the emotional turmoil she was experiencing, making it difficult for her to connect with her pack.

Leah's situation was not an easy one to deal with. Being a female shape-shifter already presented challenges, but on top of that, she was now in a pack with her ex-fiancé, who was engaged to her own cousin, Emily Young, who was his imprint. The added complexity and emotional weight of the dynamic within the pack was making it even more difficult for her to navigate.

Serena couldn't help but feel anger towards Sam upon learning about his relationship with Emily. Despite not comprehending the full nature of imprinting, she recalled that Rachel had mentioned that it didn't always have to be romantic. This thought led Serena to question whether Sam had made a genuine effort to be with Leah or if the imprinting was too powerful to overcome.

The very idea of imprinting sent shivers down Serena's spine.

Meanwhile, Seth was the only one who had taken the situation of shapeshifting in his stride. He had come to terms with the fact that his days as just a normal teenager were over.

Serena had received some insight into why Seth had handled the situation so well, and it involved a certain relative to Embry Call.

For Serena, returning home to La Push had been a difficult experience. Being surrounded by her old friends and family after such a lengthy absence had brought up a wave of long-buried emotions and memories. It was going to take some time to readjust and heal from her past experiences, but she knew that her loved ones would be there to support her along the journey.

Serena had anticipated many things upon her return home. Taking care of her father and Sue Clearwater had been a given for her, as she'd always considered Sue like a second mother. 

However, her main problem seemed to be more simple yet also rather childish.

It was as if the universe had a way of bringing her back full circle to the same old issues from her younger years. The situation was ironic and somewhat amusing, and all she could do was smile and shake her head.

The task of avoiding Paul had proven to be nearly impossible. Given the small size of La Push and the lack of privacy it brought, Serena couldn't deny the fact that her business was never her own. It seemed that everyone always had something to say or knew something that she'd rather keep hidden.

The most frustrating and suffocating aspect of returning to La Push had been the group of gossiping housewives who seemed obsessed with sticking their noses into every detail of everyone's lives.

Rumour-hungry housewives had been the ones to start circulating the rumors that the pack was full of druggies and bad for the reservation. This was a harmful and unfair narrative that had fueled a sense of division and distrust in the small community. The pack, especially Sam, had suffered greatly because of these baseless allegations.

Serena was relieved that she had managed to avoid encountering the pack—especially given the potential complications of old wounds getting reopened. She was grateful that Seth and Jacob had respected her decision to keep her return a secret from the pack, recognizing that it was not their place to intrude on her privacy. Same with the elders having kept her being back a secret.

However, Serena's peace efforts would be tested yet again, as Rachel had another agenda in mind. She had planned to take Serena to Emily's place, a thought that the former didn't particularly relish. Serena had a good relationship with Emily—until she learning about the who Leah and Sam thing that had happened.

Serena had been determined to keep peace between Emily and Leah, understanding that Leah was still struggling with her new life as a shapeshifter. So, her focus was consumed by her concern for Leah, leaving her with little bandwidth to deal with any other issues. Despite this, she knew that she couldn't neglect the friendship she shared with Emily and needed to find a way to mend the strained relationship between the two women, but even she knew that it had to be on their terms, but she hoped to be some meeting point.

One day, Serena found herself in the uncomfortable position of laying in bed trying to enjoy her first day off, while her sister continued to persistently ask her to join her at Emily and Sam's place.

"I've already told you, Rach," Serena began, her voice weary, "I don't want to go there."

Rachel, ever the perceptive sister, pleaded with her, "But the boys miss you so much, and it would be awesome to see their faces. Cmon!"

Serena let out a long sigh, feeling a wave of irritation at the thought of seeing Paul. "There's no way in hell I'll be going if that jerk is there," she said firmly.

"He won't be there, I promise," Rachel assured her sister, knowing that Serena could be fooled if Rachel kept up the facade. "Plus, I know you can't resist Emily's delicious cooking."

Serena couldn't help but wince at the mere mention of food, knowing all too well that she was weak to such simple allure. "Ugh, I don't know," she said, trying to resist the temptation.

Rachel, a sly grin on her face, shook Serena's body and began singing, "Come on, please. Just for me!" She knew that Serena couldn't resist the "for me" card, especially after the departure of Rebecca back to Hawaii.

Despite her initial reluctance, Serena could never resist Rachel's relentless insistence. "Fine," she muttered, giving in with a heavy sigh.

Rachel's joyful cheer echoed through the house as she bounded away, with Serena rolling her eyes at her sister's antics. "You owe me big time, Rach," Serena called out before getting out of bed to get ready for the day.

Serena's thoughts were being consumed by the prospect of Emily's delicious cooking, not to mention the idea of seeing the boys. She was completely oblivious to the fact that Paul would likely be present, blissfully unaware of the implications. Her focus was entirely on her day off, where she could finally take a break from the constant juggling act of all the things she put onto herself.