Leah and I shouldered our duffles and marched into the gym, a beatific smile on her face when Nate caught sight of her. She was still rough and tough Leah Clearwater, but she was happy now. She and Nate had worked everything out and in her own words, they were getting ready to live their happily ever after. It was about time, if you asked me. I knew very little about Nate's life, only what Leah had told me and what I had figured out on my own. But from what I did know, Nate deserved as much happiness as anyone else on this planet. And the smile that was threatening on his lips said that Leah was that happiness.
We dropped our bags beside our favorite two punching bags and began warming up. The rhythmic sound of fist on canvas filled the air. "How are things going at the monster house?" she asked, not even breaking a sweat. I snorted. Leah had deemed the Black family home the 'monster house' because I had a Spirit Warrior wolf and a vampire hybrid living under the same roof. I argued that Nessie didn't really live at the house. She was just there all day and most nights of the week too. Either way, the name had stuck.
"Good," I huffed out. "Nessie and Jake are on their way to Seattle. Rosalie and Emmet want to meet with her this weekend," I explained although the words were more like breathy gasps. "How are things at the apartment?"
Leah looked at me with a devilish stare that promised a definite girl conversation in my future. She winked and then turned back to the punching bag. I just shook my head, more to myself than to her or anyone else in the gym. Since she'd marked Nate a few weeks back, she'd become a little monster of her own. And I had heard every detail about it... Even the details that I didn't really want to know. I lost myself in the music that we were creating every time that we slapped the sand-filled canvas. I loved this gym, loved being here. One day, when things slowed down again, I was going to get to compete again and I was going to have my life the way that I wanted.
Leah's startled squeal shoved me out of my happy daydream. Clearly she'd been absorbed in the workout if Nate was able to sneak up on her. His thick arms wrapped around her waist and hauled her back against his chest. She laughed and wrapped her arms around his. They were almost sickeningly sweet. But it wasn't the overt affection that bothered me. No; it was the fact that they were getting to live a normal life. They were getting to be a couple like what I wanted for me and Jake.
I shouldn't really be too upset, though. Life had been pretty good for me and my wolf recently. We had the obvious imminent vampire attack to deal with, but other than that, we were pretty good. We had time to ourselves, what with patrols being normal. Rebecca and I were slowly mending our relationship, much to my pleasure. Rachel had promised to come home in a few weeks, for Labor Day, I think she'd said. But Jake and I were still the Alpha couple. We were in charge of Pack meetings and taking care of everything. And even when I felt like we were happy and content, the reality was that we hadn't done more than chat here in there in the last couple of days. I loved Jake and adored getting to talk to hi, but I liked the intimate stuff too.
"How are you, Rye?" Nate asked, dropping a polite kiss on my cheek. He was another older brother. In recent months, he'd come to some understanding with the guys and they'd welcomed him. Even Sam, although what miracle had occurred there was still a mystery to me. "You excited for this bonfire this weekend?" Jake had finally taken time out of his busy Alpha life to sit down and schedule the bonfire, get everything set up. It was to be the only one of the summer, the last one of the summer. Our last major get together before the school year began.
"Definitely. It's about time. Jake's been Alpha for a long time. We should have had a bonfire for that a long time ago," I replied, shaking my hands out and heading for the lifting area.
"Leah, let's you and I go spar," Nate suggested. "Rye when you're done, we'll head out for some lunch. Sound good?" I nodded and kept walking, pushing the headphones I brought into my ears as I went. I kept a steady pace on my reps and sets until my arms were beginning to quiver and sweat was rolling down my temple into my messy hair. I joined Frank in the ring for some sparing with the pads, working on my kicks and elbows for a little while Nate and Leah just watched and talked.
"Are you sure you guys want to take me out?" I asked. Leah had barely broken a sweat and Nate had changed into a clean shirt. Me? I was covered in sweat, a V darkening the fabric of my purple shirt where the sweat had soaked through. "I smell like shit and I look like I just went twelve rounds with Leila Ali," I said.
Nate just chuckled at me and walked out the front doors to pull his car around. "Nate generally couldn't give two fucks about what other people have to say," she muttered. "People are going to say whatever they want about us whether we like it or not, whether we look nice or not." I just looked at her expectantly. I didn't care what people thought. I just didn't like smelling up the place. "I've got a different tank top in Nate's car if that will make you feel better."
"Much; thank you," I whispered. I changed in the car on our way to the diner, listening to Leah and Nate call each other asshole and bitch. I wasn't really in any place to judge. Jake and I were just as bad sometimes. I leaned over when we parked, digging through my bag to find some money that I had hidden in there.
"Yeah right," Nate snorted. "I know that you're not getting any cash out, right Ryanne?"
"I've got a twenty in here somewhere..."
A hand smacked down on my bag, keeping me from flinging any more clothing aside. "Your money stays in the car, Ryanne," he said. I shot Leah a desperate look, but she only nodded and then rolled her eyes. I sighed heavily and slipped my hand out of my bag and got out of the car. Nate walked in between me and Leah. And while I saw that his hand was linked with hers, I didn't feel at all like a third wheel. We laughed and joked like three old friends, teasing each other about how we walked, about the things we said.
Lunch was an enjoyable get together. Leah kept stealing french fries off of Nate's plate and in a strange turn of events, Nate kept picking cucumbers off of Leah's salad. Of course, I wasn't to be left out. I had more than a few of my onion rings taken from my plate and at one point, I returned from the bathroom and there were some good bites taken out of my burger. "I can't even guess which one of you it was," I muttered. Nate was a big enough guy that it could have been him and Leah... Leah was a wolf. Wolf: a synonym for bottomless pit.
After lunch with Nate, Leah and I decided to forego the city. We sat on the couch and talked about the life that I didn't want to know about. I flinched and cringed, trying to tell her that I didn't want to know about her relationship with Nate. But with my foot stuck in her lap, apple green nail polish in her hand, I wasn't exactly in a position to protest. Billy came in a few moments later, a Safeway bag in his lap. "Sue and I are heading out," he said. I nodded. "Leah, she said that you needed to come with." Leah painted the last of my pinky toes and sighed.
"We'll catch up later," she muttered when she leaned over me to put the nail polish down.
"We really don't have to Leah," I whispered. She just laughed at me. A shrill, short whistle fluttered through the air. I looked up to see Billy chucking a small carton of Ben & Jerry's at me. "What's this for?"
"Jake's just leaving the city. He won't be home for a little while," he said. He nodded towards the ice cream. "Thought you might need a little company tonight." I laughed at the old man and shooed him out the door. Rolling my eyes, I broke the plastic seal and peeled back the lid, using a spoon to delicately scoop the little chunks of cookie dough out.
Life was pretty nice right now. Just me and Jake and our family. The vampires were coming, but until then we had nothing to fear. Jake was coming back from the city and as far as I could tell, no one had died. Everything was fine...for now. I was content to wait for the other foot to drop.