Beginning Thoughts: Thank you so much for the great response I received on the last chapter. I am happy you are liking the story! As far as this chapter goes, it is a little bit of a cliffy, but I promise you will not have to wait long for the next chapter. This is part one of Bella's time as a zombie, hope you enjoy!

9 Crimes- Damien Rice

It's the wrong time
For somebody new
It's a small crime
And I got no excuse

Catalyst Part One

October

Deep bitterness filled me as Halloween came to the reservation. With winter came a deep decline in the need for construction, and a lower income for me. While I didn't need much living rent free, having money to put away was beneficial for my future when the time came for me to stop phasing. My wolf was still on edge even though the bloodsuckers said they were truly gone. That could only mean one thing, either they lied, or one of their leech friends was still hanging around. I had a pack member, most often myself check in on Bella every night. Jared and Paul couldn't stand the screams that came from her bedroom, it made me wonder what happened that day before I found her.

Normal breakups do not leave a person so broken that they can no longer function like a normal human. Bella was prompted to do anything besides cleaning and cooking. She was acting like a robot who wasn't programmed how to take care of basic necessities such as eating and bathing. I stopped looking in on her when she was awake after a day in the outdoor shop where she worked. The wolf dragged me in there to get a look, and to get a whiff of her. After seeing her act like the living dead, he grieved for a week. Since then the wolf took to avoiding her, though it felt it was only until something changed in her again. I wanted her to get to a point of intelligent conversation so I could ask. The way she was hurt, it was almost as if her spirit was crushed.

For Halloween we were having campfire stories, and Bella and Charlie were coming. I do not know how Billy convinced Charlie to come up to the reservation, maybe it was to snap Bella out of her own head. On the 31st, the pack and I were preparing hot dogs and burgers on a grill. Sue was setting out chips and other condiments, while the other elders were filling candy bowls, acting like children as they snuck some pieces for later. I chuckled at their actions and went back to grilling.

The party quickly picked up once dusk settled in, and I noticed the police chief drag his daughter over to a log. She acted if she were dreaming. I headed over next to her, earning an approving look from my pack brothers and Charlie, and an angry look from Leah. I guess she thought a month was not an appropriate amount of time to start talking to other girls. I could care less. My wolf whined in my head as I took a seat, but I couldn't figure out what he wanted. He wanted her protected, but he almost didn't want me near her. It was like he couldn't stand to see her hurting, and didn't know how to deal with it. I was tired of indulging him though, and wanted, hoped that I could drag her out of her shell.

"Hey Bella," I told her. She didn't even look up, just stared into the flames. "How's school?"

"Fine." She answered, not moving or even looking at me.

"How have you been?" I pushed harder trying to start a conversation, this was worse than the time in Newton's, when in the store she would at least provide a full answer to the question asked.

"Ok." Was her response.

I felt myself beginning to get frustrated, I needed her to answer me. I wanted a conversation, I wanted her to come out of her head, so I did something that I was warned against by Billy. He told me that she would often respond to someone mentioning Edward, most of the time in a violent way. "Bella, what did Edward do to you? How did he hurt you?" I asked purposely using his name to get a rise.

She froze and looked at me, causing my heart to lift, then she wrapped her arms around her chest as if it pained her. She drew her knees up for further protection, and started to rock back and forth. "No, no, no, he's gone. Didn't love me. Alone." She started to cry, tears poured down her face, and sobs escaped from her. I immediately felt terrible. She was even further from me now, mentally. I reached out to touch her, and she leaned away, falling into the sand. He father rushed over shooting me a dirty look.

"What happened?" He hissed at me, causing me to look down in shame.

"I mentioned his name, to try and get her out of the shell. This isn't human, this shell. I can't stand to see her hurting like this." I told him honestly, earning a look of shear rage.

"You have no right to go against what I said. Do you not think that I have tried mentioning him? Do you think I would tell you not to do something on a whim? Who are you to decide what is best for my child?" He growled causing tears to almost well up in my eyes at the lecture. "You are nothing to her Sam. I thank you for saving her, but you have never been her friend. You aren't her boyfriend, and you aren't family. You have no say or right to decide what is best for my daughter until you become someone to her. Try to be her friend, but do not try to play counselor again. You cause more harm than good." He then grabbed Bella's arm gently and lead her over to their car.

Waves of guilt crashed over both the man and the wolf, yes it was a learning experience, but I should have listened to the guidelines that Charlie gave me. She was just so fragile, like a spider web. Strong enough to survive, but the slightest prodding would bring it down. I flopped back down onto the log and buried my face in my hands, trying not to feel. "Didn't take you long to move on." I heard the last voice I wanted to hear.

"Leah," I whispered, trying to get her away from. I couldn't take her bitterness right now. "I am not trying anything with Bella. I just want her to get better like most of the people around. No one should hurt like she is hurting."

She was puffed up ready for a fight, and then deflated at my answer. "I'm sorry. I don't know, instinct inside me tells me there is going to be something there, and I am not ready to handle it."

That triggered something inside me. I looked into her eyes. That was what the rest of my pack members said. I noticed that she had grown a little taller in the past couple months, and looked less soft than she was when were together. I reached out and touched her face, feeling her slightly warmer than she should have been. "Leah are you sick?" I asked, hoping she said yes, praying she said yes. I didn't know what it would mean to have a female wolf, and I was even more confused that more people were showing signs of turning.

"I have never felt better. Why? Am I warm or something?" She reached her own hand to her forehead and felt it.

"Sorry, I guess I just got confused." I answered, trying to cover up my concern. Jacob was showing a growth spurt, as was Embry. This was going to be bigger than I thought.

"Whatever, you are acting weird. So what was that all about? She acts a zombie, looks like a vampire, and then starts acting like you punched her for no reason. Are we sure she is fully mentally capable?" She asked, previous anger disappearing.

"I mentioned her ex, shouldn't have done that. I think he hurt her bad when he left. No one knows why she is like this, she won't talk about it, even to her mom." I answered her, feeling good that I could talk to someone who wasn't pack about my concerns. It was also nice because at this time, I wasn't her boss, I didn't have to report to her, and I could be honest. No one tells you that leading a tribe is lonely. Being on top is horrible. Any sign of weakness and they jump on you. I wanted to be a normal teenager for a moment, and express concern over someone I cared about.

"I am not sure why that would cause such an emotional breakdown, unless he hurt her in another way. Did she get checked out physically? He could have raped her." Leah looked at me, trying her best to solve the puzzle. She was one that loved complex problems that needed fixing, she wanted to be a surgeon because it was one of the few careers that could keep up with her mind.

"Yes, and she wasn't touched. He had to have ripped her apart emotionally for this to happen." I told her, hoping she could think of something else.

"Thinking back to our breakup, about the only thing that could have caused me to resemble anything close to that would be being told it was all a lie and you never loved me. That would be crushing, especially because I gave you my whole heart. You just don't come back from something like that without damage. Ours was tough, but at least I knew that you were loyal and loved me. I hate to see what I would have been like if I didn't feel that way." She answered causing me to ponder her words. She was right, telling someone that it was all a lie was a great way to break them down, but why would he do such a thing? He truly was a monster to lead a girl on like that.

"Thanks, so why do you think there is going to be something between us? I just feel an urge to protect her like other girls," I wasn't about to mention that it was the wolf that needed to see her at least three times a week to know that she was safe. "I have no romantic feelings for her." At least that part was honest.

"I can see it. It looks like Jared and Kim when they are together, but cloudy at the same time. It's there but not there. I don't understand why I can see something, but I do apologize for the assumption." She replied causing me to think more on that. Our tribe didn't have a shaman or an oracle, and hadn't for a very long time, likely since the time of Taha Aki himself, but Leah was describing some traits of an oracle.

"Do you see anything else? Or sense anything else?" I asked, trying to weed out some more information. If we had an oracle in our midst, or even in the pack itself we might be able to get accomplish so much more. We could anticipate attacks without spreading ourselves too thin.

"I sense we are in a calm before a storm. I also have dreams about chasing a red head. It doesn't make any sense. Right now it feels as if Bella is a catalyst, I think we need to keep her close. Am I going crazy Sam?" She asked me concerned.

"Not at all, I think you are just embracing your roots. Your gifts seem to be more in the realm of revealing the hidden. At the next council meeting I will bring you with me. Please don't mention this to anyone else though, we don't know if we will need to keep this a secret. I want you to stay safe." I told her.

"Ok, let me know when it is." She answered and then walked away. I felt a sense of hope rise up within me. Only two more weeks to wait until the next meeting.

November

"Billy I have invited Leah Clearwater to meet with us today," I paused so that the elders could get their shocked expressions and grumbling out of the way. They weren't pleased, but they would be ecstatic when they found out my reasoning. "After you hear her side of the story, I need a sign to tell her about the pack."

"We do not bend to the whims of teenage boys, tribal law is in place for a reason. She can't be told of the pack just so you can have a romantic relationship with her. I am sorry son that is just the way it is." Old Quil answered causing me to shoot him a smile.

"Quil, maybe we should listen to the young chief. He has not been with Miss Clearwater for two months, and they do not seem to have much lingering tension. He would not ask to reveal the secret for no reason other than personal gain." Billy retorted causing me to smirk.

"My daughter has a secret doesn't she?" Harry asked. "She has been keeping things from us for a few months and I was curious about it. It must be something big if she wouldn't come forward."

"She will answer that for you Harry. It is not my place to tell, and I am sure that you will have questions that I can't answer. I do know that will need to know about the pack eventually because she is showing signs of shifting." I told them causing even more shock to cloud their features. "I know that there has never been a female wolf before, but I think there is a reason behind her shift, she will be a great asset to the pack once it happens."

"Bring her in and let her tell us her secret," Old Quil grumbled not liking the loss of control. I truly wanted to get him out of power, he was inflexible, and most of the secrets were because of him.

As my ex-girlfriend walked in I could see the nervousness pouring off of her in waves. She was fidgeting, and looked to be regretting her decision to share her biggest secret with the elders. I knew she was concerned about being locked up, but I knew that she was honest with her observations, and it gave me hope for the future. If she was right about me and Bella maybe there was hope for the girl after all. "Welcome daughter." Harry greeted his oldest with a smile. "Sam tells us that you have something to share with us."

"I think I am an oracle. I can see a bond between Jared and Kim, and to a lesser degree Sam and Bella. I also get dreams that make little sense. I see wolves hunting a red headed woman, then I see a clearing with a mass amount of creatures attacking the wolves and the Cullen's. The weird thing about these visions is that they seem to be tied to Bella and her decisions, and consequently Sam's. I feel that if Sam would have stayed with me, the wolves would be in the clearing." She answered causing the elders mouths to drop. I chuckled again, feeling like I pulled on over on them for once.

"Tell her Sam." Billy told me after he pulled himself together.

"Leah I have a question first, how many wolves were in the pack in the clearing?" I didn't want to know, but had to know. I had to know just how many the fever had started in, how many to keep an eye out for, and above all how bad this threat could become.

"Seven, but it felt like there was an eighth somewhere. Why?" She gave me a suspicious look and I felt my stomach drop into my feet. Something big was coming.

"Leah, the wolves are Quileute tribe members. As of now, there are three with the potential for three more. I am one, along with Paul Lahote and Jared Cameron. That is why we have suddenly formed a close friendship; that is also why I pulled away." I told her finally revealing my biggest secret. I hoped that she would understand. I hoped that she wouldn't hate me for keeping it from her.

"Well that is difficult to swallow. So why are the wolves hunting the red head? I thought in the legends they were protectors of the tribe?" She asked trying to make sense of the vision and the new information.

"My only assumption is that she is a vampire. While we do protect against normal threats, but our main job is to protect against vampires. The Cullen's were bloodsucking demons, and when they left, I thought that we were done with them, now though, I feel that they were tame compared to what we may be facing." I answered, feeling fear begin to settle in my stomach.

"These visions started in May, is that when the wolves came as well?" My ex asked, trying to make some sense out of something so impossible.

"Yes, that's where I was going." I told her. "I am sorry I couldn't tell you. I really wish I could have, but with the way media is today we really need to keep secrets."

She brushed me off, "I think my visions show possible outcomes, but never the actual future. In one I see Sam and my cousin Emily, and I am bitter and angry in their home, I am not sure why I would expose myself to that unless, oh." She stopped and thought about the implications. "I think I might be a wolf Sam."

"We think you are too. You are starting to get the fever. If you would like we can teach you to phase so it doesn't take you by surprise." I told her, earning dirty looks from my leaders. "What? It is only tradition that the first phase happens when the human gets so mad the wolf takes over. It might be better to train potential wolves to phase, maybe then we can avoid their volatile time, as well as the fear."

"That might not be a bad idea." Leah chimed in, earning nods of respect from the elders. They only wanted the knowledge that an oracle gave them. I grumbled to myself. "So what is the deal with Bella? She appears to be in every one of my visions. I do not know why. Is she some form of vampire? Shifter? What is she? Why does everything revolve around a girl who thinks vampires make such great company?"

"I do not have an answer to that Leah. All I know right now is my wolf wants to protect her, but doesn't know how to deal with an upset little human. I on the other hand want to hold and comfort her. I just do not know how or why. I have felt it the first time I saw her in the woods. It is not an imprint, but it could almost be that I think." I answered pouring my heart out to the girl, knowing I was revealing too much of my love life to my ex, but also knowing that she was the only one who might have an insight.

"I think that she could be your imprint, but I also think that another woman could be your imprint as well. Bella could also be Jacob Black's imprint, but that is only if you see my cousin Emily, and she chooses him. I think the fate of the tribe is in the hands of a heartbroken eighteen year old girl." Leah told the pack causing me to gasp at her announcement. I suddenly felt sick.

End Notes: Thank you so much for reading, and because you guys are so awesome I decided to post part two tomorrow. I don't know where the idea of Leah being a seer/ oracle came from. It just literally came out and I thought, oh hell I will just roll with it. Leah's powers at this point are almost all centered in the past, or would be past if Bella had chosen Edward or Jacob. They will develop more as Bella becomes more capable of making decisions. That leads me to ask, what name do you prefer seer or oracle? Personally I prefer oracle because it is more mystical, but seer is more literal.

I also wanted to put in some thoughts about imprinting. I think that imprinting happens for a majority of reasons. Part is to help promote and improve the wolf's bloodline, part to give the wolf an amazing companion, and the final part is to offer protection to a girl who needs it. This leads to the idea of multiple possible imprints. The imprint is desire driven magic in my eyes. It will not happen unless both parties are open to the idea. I will go into it a bit more later. To put some concerns to rest this is a Bella Sam story. Sam will not be with anyone else. Bella might consider Edward or Jacob at one point but it will be short lived. Anyway thank you again for reading!