★★★★★

TWO; DAHLIA & LEAH

     BLAIRE SAT PATIENTLY, her toes touching the ground as she swung her feet back and forth. The bed creaked at the movement and she sighed, checking her watch for the fourth time that night. She was waiting for the sound of howls to emit through the air, but nothing came. She stood, walking over to the window and peering outside. Dahlia was on the front lawn with her eyes wide and alert. The female wolf desired to take part in the action of catching Victoria but she was stuck with the position of watching over her older sister.

     "Don't sweat," Caleb chuckled, leaning on his daughter's doorframe. He was sipping on a cup of coffee, even though the sun had disappeared from the line of vision. "Sam knows what he's doing."

     "I'm worried about Embry," she corrected. "That redhead bloodsucker is dangerous." A flashing memory of Victoria's arm pinned to Blaire's throat crossed her mind, and she instinctively cradled her hand from the previous wounds. She knew what Victoria was capable of and being that close to her soulmate made shudders run through Blaire's body.

     "Embry's strong. Skinner than the rest of the bunch, but stronger mentally. You don't need to worry about him," Caleb assured. She turned to look at him briefly before darting her eyes back to Dahlia. "Thanks for dinner." He raised his cup and left, cutting the conversation short.

     Blaire rested in the silence, dreading the noise of Victoria's return. She paced around her room, called Kim to chat, and brought Dahlia a cup of coffee to keep her awake. The younger Thompsen had her arms folded across her chest, a ghost of the chilly air leaving her lips. Her hair was cut to her shoulder, which was as far as she would exceed. Sam insisted to clip more inches for comfort when phasing, and she scoffed at his orders. He may be her alpha but she would never listen to him.

     She thanked her sibling for the steaming mug, missing the feeling of it warming her hands. Her body temperature stayed the same everyday, even if someone placed her in an ice bath. "Heard anything?" Blaire asked, looking out into the woods. No figures or shadows passed and she took that as a good sign. If Victoria was going to strike, she would've done it by now unless she proposed a different strategy.

     "Not yet," Dahlia responded. She tapped her foot anxiously. "Sam hasn't given me a signal."

     She realized how altered their world had become. Months earlier, the sisters would've been sprawled across the living room floor, giggling about their favorite television show. Dahlia hadn't even watched the new season.

     "Did Leah call back?" Blaire couldn't help but pester. The nonexistent love life of Dahlia Thompsen was saddening and she wished her and Leah the best. Dahlia's face fell, disliking where the exchange was headed.

     "She will," her tone faltered, but Blaire didn't say anything about it. Suddenly, there was an outcry in the night sky. Dahlia shoved her cup to her sister, knowing well what those yells meant. Blaire started to panic, spilling the drinks onto the grass.

     "What? Is it Embry?" She inquired frantically. Dahlia stopped her, passing a stern look.

     "Stay here, B. It's not Victoria." Before Blaire could question, the girl had transformed before her. The giant wolf snarled and took off, vanishing behind the green shrubbery. Blaire was speechless. She didn't understand what was occurring; if it wasn't Victoria, then what else could it be?

     "Somebody phased," she whispered under her breath. The emotion expressed on Dahlia's face said it all. She vividly recalled Dahlia in the middle of Emily's kitchen, a certain glint in her orbs. The same alarm was painted on her face before she left.

     Blaire shook off the coffee trailing down her hand, rushing inside to clean up the mess. She scrubbed at the brown pigment on her skin and washed the cups. She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing she could sleep without having to worry about Victoria crossing the reservation.

     Two heavy knocks came from the door and she swung it open, immediately enveloped into someone's arms. She inhaled their scent, sighing happily when she realized who it was. "Embry," she murmured the name with endearment. "You scared me." He squeezed her tighter against him, burying his head into the crook of her neck. She felt butterflies in her stomach from the motion.

     "The Clearwaters," he spoke, grasping his imprint's shirt. "Seth and Leah just joined the pack." Blaire twitched in shock, pulling back to check if he was lying to her.

     "Two female shapeshifters?" She tilted her head in confusion. "Is that even possible?" He kissed her forehead with affection.

     The pack had scanned the perimeter multiple times, trying to spot the infamous vampire. Sam commanded that they return tomorrow in case she comes back. Bella and Edward would be back by Monday, so Victoria had to cross the land before then. They were running back to Emily's house when Sam ceased, his whole body freezing. As soon as Embry learned of what happened, he returned to inform Blaire.

     "You might still shift," he pointed out. She lamented at his comment. He fully stepped inside the home and she closed the door behind him. He didn't hesitate to bring her into a kiss, briefly ending her questioning. He rested his hands on her waist and she smiled, nudging her nose with his. She disconnected their lips and he frowned at the loss of contact.

     "Is Dahlia okay? Is she helping Leah?" Embry knew Blaire's first concern would always be her sister.

     "She's fine," he tugged her closer so the space between them was gone. "Leah needs her now more than ever. Are you tired? Did you sleep at all?" His eyes inspected the clock on the wall.

     "I was too distracted," she replied. "Called Kim for advice." Embry lifted her bridal style and she rolled her eyes. He tended to perform spontaneous gestures a lot lately. He began to carry her up the stairs, acting as if she weighed nothing.

     "Let's get you into bed."

     She raised her eyebrows. "I can walk, you know."

     "I believe this method of transportation is more efficient," he grinned. She wrapped her arms around his neck, shaking her head at how goofy he was behaving. He relocated them into her bedroom, setting her down gently on the sheets. She climbed inside and he laid beside her. She exhaled at the warmth of the blanket and his supernatural heat.

     "Will Victoria be here tomorrow?" She murmured timidly, tracing an outline of a heart on his chest. He brought her closer, making sure his hand was firmly placed on the small of her back. He was afraid the leech would storm through the house at any moment, demanding to see Blaire's corpse.

     "It's her last day. If she isn't here tomorrow, she won't be back on the territory for a while. You're so worrisome," he added. He could feel her tense muscles and attempted to massage them gently.

     "Weird how Leah's a werewolf. She must be furious that Sam's her new alpha," Blaire drifted her eyes to Embry's lips, thinking about her sister's imprint. "And you all hang out at Emily's house. I feel awful for Leah."

     "She's going to imprint on Dahlia. She'll have to get over Sam at some point," Embry declared. He kissed Blaire again and shut his eyes. "Let's just have a calm and collected night before the storm."

     She fell asleep with his arm rubbing circles onto her back, pained cries from two new creatures heard throughout the town.

★★★★★

     "Cereal?" Blaire offered, shaking the box of Captain Crunch. Dahlia was staring at the counter, waving her head around when she realized Blaire was speaking to her. She denied breakfast, blinking rapidly.

     She stayed up all night discussing with Leah, who was so enraged she couldn't turn back into a human. Dahlia requested to explain everything to Leah, but the Clearwater wanted nothing to do with Sam or her. Seth was more compliant. He was willing to listen to what Sam had to say, even if the man was almost about to be his brother-in-law. Sue Clearwater was stuck in a state of awe. She and Harry were expecting their son to phase, but never their daughter. She harassed herself for not seeing the signs that Leah was born to be a shapeshifter. Originally, it was only the two Thompsen girls that were ever in danger of becoming werewolves together.

     "I think I'm going to head to Emily's," Dahlia notified. Embry looked up from his bowl of cereal, currently spooning it into his mouth at a rapid pace. Blaire had to refill the bowl every few minutes to keep him satisfied.

     Dahlia kicked off the chair and gave a small smile. She didn't bother to tell the couple that Leah imprinted yesterday, since everyone already saw it coming. Leah was still in wolf form when it happened. Visions of her and Dahlia passed through her mind but she couldn't comprehend what it was; she was just seeing her former best friend in a whole new perspective.

     "Be careful," Blaire warned, pouring more milk for her boyfriend. "Call me if something happens." Dahlia nodded and left the two alone. Blaire checked inside the decorated box, frowning when it was empty. "That's the sixth box this week, Em."

     "Sorry," he apologized through a mouth full of food. Blaire had to constantly keep the refrigerator stocked in case one of the wolves came over. Dahlia had a brand new diet, and it was basically consuming everything in the household. Blaire didn't know how many times she'd been to the grocery store the last few weeks. "I'll accompany you to the shop next time, I promise."

     "Don't hold your breath," she smiled, tossing the empty carton into the trash. Caleb descended from the stairs, stretching his arms out. Embry wiped his mouth with a napkin.

     "No work today," the man laughed. "Got anything for me to eat?" Caleb may have not phased in a very long time, but his appetite never changed.

     "I'll make you some scrambled eggs." It was the first dish that popped into her mind. She swiftly gathered the ingredients and started cooking. The smell wafted through Embry's nose and his stomach rumbled. Blaire sighed when she heard it, taking out another pan for him.

     "Heard the Clearwaters joined us last night. How's Dahlia holding up?" Blaire slid the first plate of eggs to her father.

     "She doing okay. Leah still won't converse with her," she hummed. "I think Leah just hasn't been in a spectacular mood lately."

     "I wouldn't be either if my ex was my new leader," Caleb scoffed. "And his fiancée's house is practically the headquarters." He wasn't fond of how Leah had been treated around La Push and if it came down to it, he would take her side over Sam's. Leah was a part of the family now and Caleb would protect her like he would with Dahlia or Blaire.

     "Our mind communication is going to get jumbled," Embry complained, imagining the nights of him having to manage headaches while on patrol. If he was ever with Leah, he would have to see Blaire just to remain stable. "She's going to complicate things."

     "You shouldn't be pointing fingers at Leah," Blaire scolded, handing him a plate of eggs. He dove into it with no uncertainty. "She's the victim. I mean, I love Emily but she's her cousin. They were best friends at one point and Leah was betrayed."

     "It's the imprint bond," Embry wiggled his spoon at her. "No one could ever stop me from being with you. That's how Sam felt and Emily had to give in."

     "Whatever," she waved off, not wishing to argue. She turned off the stove and spun around. "Do you want to head to Emily's? I have a feeling Dahlia is going to start something with Sam."

     Embry gulped down his last bite, chugging his milk until the substance was gone. He took Blaire's hand in his, standing from his seat. She slammed a piece of notebook paper next to Caleb, giving him a strict look. "At least get some shopping done." He ignored her list, reading the newspaper next to him. Blaire rolled her eyes.

     They took her car to Emily's house, hearing violent shouts before they exited the vehicle. They wasted no time jogging up the steps, observing as Dahlia stood in the middle of the kitchen, engaging in a heated debate with Sam. "She's my imprint, Sam! If you haven't noticed, she's not your property and she never was!"

     "Cool down, Thompsen," Paul said cautiously, trying to separate them. Emily shot a pleading glance at Blaire, who was positioned at the door. She grabbed Dahlia's forearm and whispered lowly.

     "Dahlia, relax. This isn't Sam's fault or anyone else's. All that matters right now is Leah." Blaire's statement made Dahlia slump, wiping the stray tears in her eyes. She was crying out of frustration. First, her imprint cut off all contact and second, she wanted nothing to do with the girl who joined the Uley.

     "We need to focus," Embry cleared his throat. "We know that tonight is Victoria's last chance. Blaire's safety is the most important task."

     "He's right," Sam scratched the back of his neck. "Same routine as last night. No distractions. Blaire is a part of the pack, shifter or not, and we won't allow her to get injured again."

     They never anticipated the redhead already devising a despicable plan in her mind, a glooming smile ghosting her lips. She wanted to take away an important person from both sides — werewolf and vampire. Victoria was going to kill Bella Swan and Blaire Thompsen, and she knew exactly how to do it.

do you want blaire to phase or stay human?