Chapter 2

Paul opened his eyes and glanced around the dark room. He tried to figure out what had woken him. A whimper came from beside him. Ah, that was it. He rolled over, curling around the girl he was sharing a bed with.

"Dad," she sobbed.

"Shh, Bella."

The sobs soon dissolved into screams. He held her tighter, hoping she wouldn't do this all night.

Sam dropped onto the couch, sighing with fatigue. He felt the cushion dip next to him. Emily wrapped her arms around his neck. He cuddled into her.

"How was last night?"

"The same as she's been for the past month. Starts calling out for Charlie then screaming. Do you see any improvements during the day?"

"No."

"Eating?"

"Not really. Sam, we have to do something. She's wasting away. Should we call the Cullens? Maybe they can help."

"No."

"Maybe," she began.

"No, Em." He pulled out a set of books. "Old Quil gave these to Jake the day before Charlie died. Levi's great-grandfather wrote this one. This one is by a white woman who was taken in by the tribe."

"What are they about?"

"Read them. Then we'll talk. Don't say anything to Kim about them. Only me, you and Jake know."

"Sam?"

He sighed. "I will say this. This woman's blood runs though the veins of every Quileute on this Rez."

Embry stared down at Bella. The morning sunlight highlighted her face. If he had to guess, she was down to eighty-something pounds. He sighed and brushed a piece of hair off her face. He lay back down, a million thoughts going through his head.

School will be starting soon. His senior year. His mom had let up on her tirade since it was the summer and she's seen the state Bella was in. But she will expect him home at night, council work be damned.

He glanced around the room. Maybe she wasn't getting better because of the house. It held a lot of memories. A change of scenery could help. But where? Billy and Jake had Rachel and Rebecca's room. They would gladly help, but that would put more pressure on Jake. Sam and Emily would take her in, as would Allison, Sam's mom.

What about an empty house? There weren't very many. Ephriam Black's house was still standing, as was Quil II and Old Quil's. All of them were run down, but the pack could fix either up in no time. He'd have to bring it up at the next pack meeting.

"Good idea, Embry. I'll bring it up with the council tomorrow." Sam fell quiet. "Old Quil brought some journals to our attention. He gave them to us two months ago, right before Charlie died. I need everyone to read them and keep an open mind. There might be a way to snap Bella out of it, but she has to get back to the zombie stage first."

"How do we know when that is?" Collin asked.

"She'll answer you if you talk to her. She'll do a task if you ask her to," Jake answered, his voice subdued.

"Why should we give a hokwat a house on the Reservation?" Daniel Clearwater asked.

Sue glanced at Harry's uncle. "Charlie was an honorary member of this tribe. Why shouldn't we help his daughter get better?"

"Let the townies take care of her," he insisted. "Or better yet, her mother."

"She is my family," Old Quil spoke up. "The last of my wife's family. I should let other people take care of her because she's white?" He stood. "She needs this place. The magic and the energies of our people and our land."

"Where will she live?" Billy's aunt, Jane, asked.

"There's a house near the store. The pack have been fixing it up for the past few weeks."

Daniel frowned. "This is just a formality, isn't it?"

"Yep." Quil sat back down. "They're moving her in in two weeks."

"You really think this will work?" Brady asked as he set down a load of 2x6s. He was helping to build an extension on the house Old Quil gave to Bella.

"God, I hope so," Collin answered. "I think I'm going deaf in one ear."

A car screeched to a halt at the front of the house, followed by a slam of the car door and Emily yelling for Sam. The teenagers glanced at each other and took off around the house. They found Emily babbling and crying in Sam's arms.

"I was telling her how school was starting back up on Monday and she said she hopes they do well. She talked! And when I gave her a bowl of chicken soup, she ate it!"

Though he was glad, Sam knew that this might not be a breakthrough. This was the most excited that his fiancée has been in months. "Em," he began.

She pulled out of his arms. "Don't you dare say it, Samuel Uley. This is the most that we've gotten from her since she was told about Charlie. She even showered on her own. We're through the worst."

He gathered Emily closer. "Yeah. We're though the worst." He glanced over at his youngest pack mates with a skeptical look.

Old Quil sat in the glade behind his house, in a deep trance. A look of serenity was on his face. The wind blew gently around him.

"Equinox?" He shook his head. "Too early. Not enough time." He paused. "The tea was given the day she spoke." He chuckled. "I told them that it would help her." He frowned. "Solstice. Possible." He nodded. "It is set."

He opened his eyes, blinking rapidly as the world came back into focus. Standing, he stretched before making his way back to the house. He stared at the half-naked boy in his kitchen.

"Junior, what are you doing in my fridge?"

Quil glanced up. "Hey, Granddad. Why are you in a breechcloth?"

"Communing. Why are you in my fridge?"

"I'm hungry," he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Right."