Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns characters and Twilight.

Epilogue

The days lengthened, then shortened, and lengthened again. I stayed within sight of my tree. I'd named her Alona, after the Hebrew word for oak. She was a tree after all.

After Sam and the tribe had researched and looked up everything in the stories, without finding the answer, I came to believe that Alona was meant for me. She was a spirit, and she lived in the tree. Though I had never felt any indication that she was communicating with me, I was attracted to her and always would be. Sometimes I shifted from wolf to human and back. Sometimes Bella, as a vampire, visited me. She brought her daughter, Renesmee, and we talked and became good friends.

But nothing more, as I was already attracted to Alona. I watched as the trees surrounding her were eradicated, and yet, I stood firm, unrelenting, never allowing her to die.

Quil and Claire were in a relationship now. Alona slowly grew taller as trees do, and she was utterly beautiful.

Sam never shifted anymore. Him and Emily had a large family now; their children were toddlers already. He was slowly aging, and I was the Alpha now, having never stopped shifting. I'd never felt the need to.

Some days I would sit by Alona, talking to her. I was always sure she listened to whatever I had to say. People who saw me in human form stared; people who saw me in wolf form on accident ran. After all, I was talking to an inanimate – but living – object. Sam teased me a lot, telling me I was missing out on a normal family. So did Quil, Embry, and several of my pack mates. However, I knew they would never dare hurt Alona. It would break the tribe, and it was pack law.

The Cullens had moved to Denali for some time, so I was, for the most part, alone with Alona. The pack could afford to rest a little when there were eight vampires gone. I trusted most of them, but my pack did not. It was normal, and for that, I didn't blame them.

I wondered who Alona really was. Would I ever be able to understand her?

Maybe I never would. But here with her spirit, part of the tree, I felt like this was enough.

FIN

A/N I'm taking a break from writing. I might update TCRT or post a new story.