Lucinda walked into the kitchen, a wide, pleasant smile on her face. While a majority of her family was confused, Jasper and Edward shared a look paired with a small smirk.
They all knew.
"You seem happy," Emmett commented skeptically.
Lucinda simply shrugged, her smile widening. "I had a good day." Bella walked out of the bathroom behind her, but Lucinda didn't care.
Not even her brothers winey girlfriend could spoil her mood.
Edward grimaced when she read her thoughts. "Um, Lucy, we have something to tell you," he murmured, resting an arm on Bella's waist.
"What is it?" Lucinda smiled. Then she noticed the glittering ring on Bella's finger. Her lips pursed, the smile she's been wearing no longer real. "Oh," she muttered. "Congratulations, I'm happy for you." Then Lucinda grabbed her coat from the kitchen table, slid on a pair of high heels to match her outfit, and marched out of the house.
Angrily.
Apparently she was wrong.
Her brothers whiny girlfriend did spoil her mood.
•••
She approached La Push beach, swearing quietly under her breath. She'd slid her shoes off and left them — along with her extremely expensive coat — on a log in the forest as she grew more aggravated.
"Why Bella," she spat, using her magic to search for sand dollars and crab shells to use in potions. "What's the big fuss over some pathetic, annoying teenage girl." Lucinda narrowed her eyes at nothing in particular, thankful the beach was empty.
"You know Bella Swan?" Apparently the beach wasn't empty. Lucinda turned stiffly and had to tilt her head up to look the girl in the eye.
She was quite pretty. Her black hair was cut short, she had beautiful tan skin, and angry, cold brown eyes. Lucinda couldn't help but notice the black ink tattoo on her left shoulder. One she'd noticed on Seth as well.
Lucinda nodded, her upper lip curling in distaste. "Of course I know Bella Swan," she muttered bitterly. "She's all anything is ever about. And my brother has the nerve to marry her. Would you marry a winey, annoying, human girl?"
Lucinda could see the corner of the girls lip twitch, though the smile didn't last long. "I'm assuming you're the witchy Cullen?" The girl guessed.
Lucinda raised a brow. "I'm assuming you're the bitter she-wolf?"
The girls lips curled into a small, genuine smile. She held out a hand. "Leah Clearwater," she introduced herself.
Lucinda shook it. "Lucinda Emery - Cullen."
•••
Leah took her back to the pack house, claiming they needed to grab something before going back to her house to bitch about their hatred for Bella Swan.
As Lucinda walked up the wooden stairs, her shoes clicking, she was immediately met with the sounds of video games and loud complaints.
"God freaking dang it, Paul! Seriously!" One of them groaned. Lucinda hadn't met fair number of the shifters — just Paul, Seth, Embry, and now Leah — though she knew who Sam was. As Lucinda walked in, she noticed them all turn to face her.
And their jaws dropped.
One of them nudged Seth — who's attention was still very much absorbed in the game he'd been winning — causing him to look at her. He immediately grinned. "Hey Lucy," he smiled. She smiled back, thinking of earlier that morning.
"Hi Seth," she mused, noticing the two younger boys he was sitting with discretely smack his arm.
Seth ignored them and stood up, making his way towards her."What's up?"
"I'm waiting for your sister," Lucinda shrugged. "We're going to your house to bond over our mutual hatred for Bella Swan."
One of the other wolves snorted. "I already like her."
"Shut up, Jared," someone grumbled causing Lucinda to smile.
"That's Jacob," Seth grimaced, an arm wrapped around her shoulders.
"He's in love with Bella," Embry added in.
Lucinda thought back to the mornings events that had led her here in the first place — about the news she'd been told — and she frowned. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "She should have chosen you."
Jacob furrowed his brows in confusion. "Why would you say that? The leach is your brother."
"Because she wants to spend the rest of eternity with him," Lucinda explained softly, looking him in the eye. "And believe me when I say that eternity gets lonely." Seth rested a hand on her lower back. "She would be a lot happier with you, Jacob," Lucinda promised, her voice taking a gentle tone. "She could have children, she could grow old. But she won't ever realize that."
With that, Lucinda turned in her heel and followed Leah — who had since come back from the kitchen — out the front door.
•••
"She just drives me batty," Lucinda groaned, popping a chip into her mouth. "She has the nerve to believe I should be happy finding a mate, but she never even considered the fact that not everyone is so dependent on a man they become catatonic when he leaves."
Leah nodded, pulling the bag from her new friends grasp. "And she's always leading Jacob on. She acts like she loves him back, and then as soon as the leech — sorry, that's your brother — comes back, she leaves him hanging out to dry."
Lucinda nodded, her eyes widening and hands flailing in agreement as she chewed another chip.
Leah chuckled, handing the bag of chips back. "What's going on with you and my brother, anyway."
Lucinda choked on her mouthful of chips. "I have no idea what you're talking about." Leah blinked at her.
"You know we can see and hear each other's thoughts in the pack mind link, right?"
"Oh shit."
Leah snorted at the response, then patted her knee. "It's okay. He hasn't gone on patrol yet. I just thought I'd let you know."
"Thank you," Lucinda nodded. Then she grimaced. "He is never getting any from me now. Not now, now ever."
Leah burst into laughter then looked at Lucinda with a genuine smile. "I think you are my new favorite person."
Lucinda grinned cheekily at that.
Leah's bedroom door opened, and a confused looking Seth popped his head in. He looked at Leah — who was still smiling widely — and furrowed his brows. "Did Leah just laugh?"
Lucinda nodded, then glanced at the clock on the wall. "I'm going to head home," she chuckled. "Text me later, Leah." Leah nodded and laid back on her bed as Lucinda left.
Seth followed her down the stairs and walked her to the front lawn. "You are literally amazing," he breathed out and pulled her in for a tight hug. "You're a miracle worker. I knew you were a witch and could do magic and all that but I didn't realize just how good at it you are."
Lucinda furrowed her brows, though she hugged him back anyways. "I didn't do anything," she murmured, smiling when she felt him place a kiss on the top of her head.
Seth snorted and held her at arms length. "Leah hasn't laughed — she hasn't even really smiled — since she dated Sam. That was almost three years ago."
Lucinda frowned, then shrugged her shoulders. "I'm glad I could make her happy then."
Seth looked down at her, his hands now resting on her shoulders. "You could make anyone happy, I swear."
A/N
So Leah has been introduced.
I'm going to try and make my updates more frequent, but I'm not going to promise anything.
H.