Guyssss! Please review! Also, I decided that Malina pretty much looks like a tan Adriana Lima!

Typical Disclaimer-blah blah blah.

MPOV

I wake with puffy eyes and the memory of my mother's death. The pain felt is just as bad if not worse than the pain I felt after my father's death, when his spirit joined me. To protect me. Now both of my parents are on my Guard, and though they are both gone, they are also with each other, and me.

I needed to run, I needed to phase and run passed boarders and back. The exhaustion helps my body release the pain so that my brain can process what had happened.

I slipped out of bed, careful to not wake Seth before silently grabbing clothes and walking out of the house, hiding a pair of jeans and a jacket in the bushes. I went into the forest and phased easily into a polar bear, running as fast as possible. Unlike Alaska, however, there were too many trees and I was too big as a polar bear to weave in and out. The agility came when I phased into a wolf, my body slim enough and my agility strong enough that I was able to run as fast as I wanted relatively easily. When the forest spit my onto the beach, I phased back into a human momentarily to enjoy the sparkling stars that were still out before attempting to phase into an Owl.

The Owl is the hardest because it is so different from wolves and polar bears, but as I focused on my breathing and let myself relax, I spread my arms, closed my eyes, bent my knees, and jumped. The responding phase filled my body with pleasure and pride as I soared above the land, flapping my wings and flying over the unsteady water. I watched the grayish blue green that was the salty aquarium below with intense interest, dipping and diving and flying high just to shift and fly forward towards the ocean, leveling out just before I reached the water. The beauty of this ocean was a very different sort than the beauty of the Pacific and Artic oceans that I was used to. Those were more dangerous to fly over, in fear of whale, walrus', and polar bears.

"Malina is safe" a voice said in my mind. The sudden mental company surprised me and I quickly flew higher and turned back towards First Beach.

"Who are you?" I asked to the voice in my mind.

"It's Jared. I am on patrol. Are you not aware that packs can communicate mentally in their phased form?" he asks. Taken aback, I don't even pay attention as I phase from an owl to a wolf so smooth I don't know if I could do it again. I take off in a trot, following Jared's scent.

"No, I was not aware of this. So am I part of the pack then?" I asked. This ability has been talked about only in legends and old stories. There was not enough shifters when I was home to prove that the link is real.

I was the only shifter, and now I'm not sure if my Tribe is even alive. My mother sure wasn't and if our neighbors are as ruthless as I believe them to be, I am sure my Tribe is gone. They would not believe anyone's pleas that they do not know my location.

And as guilty as I feel that my entire Tribe is most likely gone because of me, I know I must stay strong. As the last True Defender from the Artic, maybe even anywhere, I have a duty to protect my people and reproduce with another Shifter in order to produce True Defender Offspring.

Thank god for Seth.

"Part of the pack? Yes, I guess you must if you're communicating with us." Jared responded moments before I found him and then phased into my owl, flying back to Sam and Emily's.

As I walked through the door, Emily's head poked out from around the corner. She smiled sadly and offered me a muffin.

"Do we have any fish?" I ask, suddenly home sick.

"Like fresh fish?" she asked. I nodded. "No, sorry. I know Jake's dad went fishing recently, he might have some." She suggested. I was back out the door in no time and ran to the little red house where I knew Billy lived with Jake. I knocked on the door and heard the wheels of Billy's wheelchair roll against the floor, the wooden panes underneath creaking at the weight.

"Malina! What a pleasure! Come in, come in!" Billy widened the door for me. He and the Elders had all been very excited about my arrival. True Defenders were practically unheard of around here, only in very old tales did they appear. The protection of these tribes was dependent upon the collective power of the packs.

"I was just wondering if you had any fresh fish you'd be willing to part with?" I asked hopefully. I rubbed the back of my neck with my hand. "I…well…my mother passed away in the middle of the night and now I am craving food from home." I admit. Knowing your mother is dead just from chest pain would be extremely unlikely and unrealistic to normal people, but Billy knew. The spirits work together in this world in mysterious ways and for a True Defender or a particularly spiritual pack member, when the spirit of a close family member or friend shifted from living in a body to being free, the shifter could tell. The pain connects them to the spirit, as often times the pain is actually the pain felt as the spirit's body died. My mother had been brutally murdered, for the pain was worse than when my father passed, and he had drowned after a whale he had tried to kill grabbed him with its mouth and held him under. Drowning is one of the most painful ways to die-right up there with being burned alive or freezing to death.

"I do actually. I just got back from fishing with Charlie Swan. We went out early this morning. I am very sorry about your mother, please let me know if there is anything at all I can do to help ease your pain. I know that you will be hurting for a long time, but please remember she sacrificed herself to make sure you and your siblings are safe. Don't let that be in vain. You should start school as soon as possible and try to blend in. The more people who accept you as Maley the more you will be protected from that other tribe."

"That is very true. I will go tomorrow." I decided. I know it was soon, but Billy was right. My mother had sacrificed herself. She was dead, yes, but maybe I could channel that anger into not only hiding myself and training well enough that I pose threats to my rival Tribe, but I could also find my siblings and maybe get them here. If we all lived together it could be dangerous, but it could also help us. I am much stronger with them around and as much as I am the only True Defender, all of my siblings are shifters, each into an animal that best describes them. They could fit in here easily. My eldest brother is old enough to own a house for sure. We could all live together…but if a sudden large number of people moved to La Push and all lived in one house like that…there would be questions. I have many brothers and sisters, and none of us have the russet skin of the Quileutes.

"The fish is in the fridge. How many would you like?" he asked me.

"Just two please. And again, thank you so much."

"Sure, sure." He waved his hand as if to say 'it's nothing' before rolling himself into the kitchen and stopping before I heard him open his fridge and shuffle around. The fridge door closed and he wheeled back into the living room where I stood, admiring the photos of his family.

"Here you are." Billy presented the fish to me with a wide, proud smile on his face.

"Thank you." I said graciously, taking the two large fish from him. I gave him a quick hug and peck on the cheek before I walked out of the door and back to Sam and Emily's, giving one fish for Emily to put in the fridge as I took the other to first beach, placing it on a lavender rock before I started to work at it. Eventually the head was removed and tossed in the water as I said a small chant for it and then continued to clean the fish, eating the meat raw as I came across it.

"Want to share?" Seth asked, walking up behind me. I look back and laughed.

"Sure, if you want raw fish." I laughed, handing Seth a chunk of the fish meat with my bare hands. He made a look right then, his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes widened as his head turned slightly and his cheeks morphed into a very uncomfortable looking position.

"Raw?!"

"Yep. Missing my mother made me want food from home." I smiled at Seth as he reached out and took the chunk of fish. I watched as he smelled it and then wrinkled his nose before putting it into his mouth and chewing thoughtfully. I smiled as he reached out for more.

"Hey," he started. I handed him more fish. "What is a fish with no eyes?" he asked me. I was the confused one with furrowed eyebrows this time. I thought for a few minutes before giving up.

"I don't know." I told him, shocked. "What is it?"

"A fshhh!" he told me, a huge smile glued on his face. I couldn't help but giggle. Seth stood up as we were finishing up the fish and watched as I once more threw the unused fish parts into the water, chanting and praying that nature would use it to replenish the soil and feed the hungry fish in the ocean as I apologized for not fulfilling my duty as an Inuit, using all of what is killed.

"Ready to go back?" Seth asked, holding out a hand for me. I nodded and took it. He guided me through a trail in the forest that led us back to the house, and as we walked back, I felt deeply content, ready for whatever I might need to be ready for. Seth's hand was hot and overwhelming on my burning, childlike hand as it stayed wrapped around the bones, knuckles, tendons, and skin.

As we entered the house, I noticed Brady, Collin, Embry, Quil, Paul, Sam, and Emily were all busy doing something, whether it was watching sports or eating. Emily all but ran out of the kitchen.

"Malina!" she said. "Someone called for you!" I was suddenly scared.

"Who was is?" I asked quickly.

"Your brother." She replied simply.