petrichor [rosalie hale]

xlii. patches

"I guess I'll just have to learn as I go," she said, a small smile forming on her lips. Carlisle returned the smile, his hand still resting on her shoulder.

"That's all anyone can ask of you," he said, his voice warm and encouraging. "Just remember, you're not alone in this. We're all here to support you."

Kiara nodded, feeling a sense of renewed strength wash over her. She stood up, feeling the pain in her leg slowly dissipating as she tested it out. It still hurt, but it was manageable - and she knew that with time, it would heal completely. She just hoped it healed before whatever showdown with Sam and the rest of her old pack occurred.

"Thank you, Carlisle," she said again before turning to leave his office as her stomach growled once again. She paused, turning back around to look at him sheepishly. "Not to be rude, but do you have any food?"

___

"You should have seen it," Seth said with a mouthful of food as he grinned at Bree. The teenage vampire smiled back, always a lot more relaxed when she was around the young wolf. "It was all 'I am the grandson of a CHIEF' and then BAM, Kiara was at Sam's throat!"

"That's... not quite it," Kiara muttered as Emmett let out a loud laugh from the other side of the room. He and Seth had hit it off almost instantly, both loveable goofballs. Kiara and Leah both thought they hated that, but neither commented on it. "There was some more words in between that. Seth, don't talk with food in your mouth, please."

"Your wish is my command, mighty alpha," Seth joked, causing Kiara to huff a little. Jacob sniggered from beside her, and Kiara was sure she could even hear Leah snort from outside in her wolf form. She didn't trust the Cullens enough to eat inside, let alone be inside in her human form. Kiara didn't mind - she wasn't going to push Leah to be uncomfortable when she didn't need to be here. She wasn't going to order anyone to do anything. Not now, not ever.

Kiara hadn't been sure how Jacob would have reacted to her being alpha, and not him, but it didn't seem like he cared that much. The other three wolves had informed her they already knew when she went to talk to them after Carlisle had stitched her up, and that was that. She was sure it would become a problem later but for now it seemed more like a formality than an actual pack ranking.

She took a deep breath, the room filled with the sound of Seth and Jacob eating and the rest of the room talking around her. She looked down at her own plate, barely touched, and pushed it away. She didn't have that much of an appetite anymore. Kiara couldn't remember the last time she had felt this exhausted, but she knew she had to keep pushing. She had a pack to lead and people to protect.

"So, any plans for tomorrow?" Emmett asked, breaking the silence. Kiara knew he wanted to get out to hunt, but they had to be careful while Sam and the rest of their former pack were patrolling the woods. The treaty line was no longer standing, despite what Esme wished.

Kiara shook her head, no longer chewing her food.

"Not yet. We have to wait and see what Sam and the pack are up to."

"Ugh, Sam and his pack," Bree muttered, rolling her eyes. Kiara's eyes flickered to her as the girl started to slowly become more vocal around them. Kiara hadn't minded it - but this was a touchy subject. "I don't know how you guys used to put up with them."

"They're our brothers," Kiara replied sharply. A silence fell across the Cullens and Bree instantly looked regretful for the comment. They sometimes forgot that while the pack weren't all related, their bonds ran deeper than the venom that tied the Cullens together.

As she sat there lost in thought, she felt Jacob's warm hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. She looked up at him and he gave her a reassuring smile, silently letting her know that he was there for her. She was very aware of three missing vampires from the room - Beverly, Rosalie and Alice. Edward and Bella were next door and the rest were scattered around the room.