Disclaimer: (Hides behind brick wall.) I don't own anything. I love you. Please don't kill me. Yes, I hate myself too. Please read on.
Saturday, September 21 6:32 P.M. La Push, WA BPOV
When I pulled into the Clearwater's driveway, I noticed that someone was waiting for me. Quil Ateara Sr., or Old Quil, watched me with somber eyes as I climbed cautiously out of my truck and walked up to the Clearwater's front porch, trying not to trip in front of him. I stopped on the bottom step, the reedy elder towering over me. His weathered face was calm, but his black eyes seemed fathomless, wise beyond anyone's reckoning.
His voice was slow and deep. "Isabella Swan. It has come to the attention of the Council of Elders that you are aware of our greatest secret." I swallowed heavily, nodding. Oh, shit. He continued, just as slow and steady, "Under normal circumstances, I would not be pleased with you holding this precious knowledge in your hands. You are not of our tribe or of any tribe which shares our beliefs." He shifted his stance and folded his arms across his once powerful chest. He continued in that same, unnerving deep voice, "Under normal circumstances, some would not believe you worthy of any of the knowledge you now possess, and certainly not the access you have to our Pack."
I felt anger rise within me, but his heavy stare silenced any of my angry words, though the thoughts still seethed in my chest. How dare he say things like that? I'm Sam's imprint, and if he wants me in the Pack there's not a damn thing that the Council can do about it. I crossed my arms over my chest in a small display of defiance.
Old Quil's deep eyes softened as they traveled over me in a way similar to the way an uncle looks at his favorite niece. "But, things change. Circumstances change." He sighed deeply. "Circumstances, my dear, like the Cullen's being so intent on your death. Circumstances like your soul mating to soul of the Alpha."
I admit, I choked on my tongue a bit. "Excuse me?" Does that mean that he knows about the imprinting thing and all? Does he know about everything? I cleared my throat and said, "Sir, as I'm sure you are aware, I'm not quite aware of everything that goes into being part of the werewolf pack. Or what it means to be an imprint to a werewolf, even. It was made clear to me that in order to deserve the knowledge of such, I would have to be-"
Here, Old Quil nodded his head, and interrupted, "Inducted into the pack, yes. Which is why I am here. The Council of Elders requests that you and Leah Clearwater join us tomorrow when the sun sets on First Beach."
His voice booked no argument. I nodded mutely. What did I have to lose? Old Quil then turned and left without so much as a, 'See ya'. I watched his stooping back walk away until he passed behind a line of trees on the road, blocking him from my view. I turned back to the Clearwater's porch, noticing there was a faint red smear on the pale wood by the door, peeking out from underneath a brand-new looking floor mat. I shuddered at the memory.
I stepped up to the door and knocked, still thinking about my last visit here. Sue opened the door wide, smiling. "Well, look here. It's Bella! Good to see you out of the hospital, finally!" I grinned.
"It's great to be out of there, Sue. I get to walk for more than ten minutes a day, now." Sue laughed, and motioned me inside.
The Clearwater's house hadn't changed in the years since the last time I'd visited. The same pale yellow wall paint, the same pale wood floors, even the same ugly worn red jacket hanging from the rack next to the door. The only thing that seemed to have changed was the amount of pictures on the walls that featured all four Clearwater's. Sue gestured to the kitchen, dining room, living room, and downstairs bathroom as we passed them, then walked me upstairs.
"You're going to be bunking with Leah tonight, ok?" At my nod, she continued, "Leah's a bit strung out right now; she got into a fight with one of her friends earlier today. So if she snaps at you…" Here Sue turned to me and whispered conspiratorially, "You snap right back. I won't have this namby-pamby business of her skulking in her room."
I grinned at the older woman and nodded. "Yes, Nurse Clearwater." She pointed to a plain white door.
"She's in there, why don't you go in and try to talk her 'round, ok?" Sue disappeared down the hallway as she said this, so I turned back to Leah's bedroom door and went inside.
Leah was sitting on her bed, huddled against the wall and clutching a pillow. Her pretty eyes were red and puffy, the Kleenex box next to her was empty, and she looked scared out of her wits. She asked me very quietly, "You weren't attacked by a wild animal, were you?"
I shook my head. "No, I wasn't."
She raised her eyes to mine, a challenging gleam in them. "Then what happened?"
I realized that here I had two options. I could lie to Leah about the truth and have her wait until tomorrow night to find everything out, or I could just tell her everything that I knew as of right now.
"Edward Cullen tried to kill me." Leah didn't say anything, she just patted the space next to her on the bed. I sat, and I launched into an explanation of what had become my life.
Sunday, September 22 9:20 A.M. La Push, WA BPOV
Leah took the news that vampires and werewolves existed very well, though she still refused to tell me what exactly happened between her and Embry when he phased. She would just look away and change the subject. When she found out that all of the Cullen's had been vampires, she'd simply wrinkled up her nose and said, "I knew something was wrong with those fuckers from day one."
In short, Leah couldn't have cared less that some of the people she had grown up with now turned into giant hairy dogs on a regular basis. She was just pissed off that no one saw fit to tell her, but did tell her brother all about it. After finding out that the Council of Elders was behind it, she promptly informed her father, since he was on said council, that until further notice they weren't on speaking terms.
"Leah, come on. It's not like he could tell you!" And that left Sue, Leah's younger brother Seth, and I playing mediator.
Leah ignored Seth's pleading tone. "If he wants to be a dick and hide things like this from his family, well then I am allowed a period of shunning." I rolled my eyes. Leah really could amp up the drama if she so chose.
I tried, "Leah, you're going to have to talk to him tonight anyway. We have that meeting thing with the Council on First Beach." I cringed when the gauze scraped across my stitches. The four of us were in the kitchen, eating a late breakfast on Seth's part, taking turns between ranting and silence on Leah's, and changing my bandages on mine and Sue's.
I wonder if I should teach Sam how to do this. I shoved the thought aside, he had too much on his mind already. I didn't want him worrying more about me than he had too.
Sue scolded me, "Stop squirming, you're only making it worse. Now I have to start all over." I groaned. Would I hate it this much if Sam was one the one doctoring me up? I promptly told myself to shut it.
"Trust me to be the one lucky enough to get injured within a week of coming home." I really hated the way that the anti-inflammatory cream Sue had rubbed on my arm smelled. Like Pine Sol and hospital. Ick.
Sue clucked her tongue. "Hush, Bella. Two more days and the stitches come out." She finished wrapping the gauze and held her hand out to Seth. "Athletic tape and the clip, please." Her son handed both to her without a word, turning immediately back to shoveling scrambled eggs in his mouth. Sue said as she finished doctoring me up, "Leah, I know you think you are being perfectly reasonable and sound minded here, but I think you're being rather ridiculous."
Leah huffed angrily, her eyes narrowing at her mother. "Tell me something. Why did Seth get to know before I did, and the only reason I know is because a kid phased right in front of my face?"
This time Seth answered, his usual sunny attitude gone. "Because I have the werewolf gene." Leah didn't have a comeback to that. More than four wolves? How many people have the gene? When I glanced at Sue, she seemed to have frozen in putting away her medical supplies. Seth continued, "Technically, we both have the werewolf gene." Silence. Seth poked at his food with his fork, not meeting anyone's eyes. "But Dad says that there's never been a girl werewolf, and he said that since I'm only fifteen, I'm too young to phase yet."
Leah very slowly walked over to her brother. She placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, and I saw Seth grin a little as she did so. Leah wasn't really the type of person to offer comfort, but when it came to Seth I knew she would do her damnedest to try.
And just as suddenly as the little moment happened, it was over. Leah flipped her hair over her shoulder and said breezily, "Well, as fun as talking about this whole thing is, I think I'm gonna go back up to my room for a while."
Sue called out after her, but Leah was already up the stairs. Sue sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I've got to go to work. Bella, your father called while you were still sleeping. He got in late last night on the missing hiker case, so I think he said he's sleeping today while Farris holds down the fort, but he'll be going back in for a night shift tonight."
I turned to face her more directly. "Is everything still a disaster at the station?" She nodded.
"Yes. The body is almost completely mutilated, Charlie said he'd never seen any animal do something like that to prey." She began to gather up her things, saying, "Charlie also asked me to let you stay here until the stitches come out of that arm, which I think is a good idea, because I don't want you falling on it or hitting it or re-opening it somewhere where no one knows how to help you."
Seth said very seriously, "Do you think we should get her a Life Alert button?"
I threw the roll of athletic tape at his head. Sue and Seth laughed at my affronted expression. "I am injured, not elderly, Seth. Lacerations do not a frail body make."
Seth shrugged, saying innocently, "I don't know, your body looked pretty frail when you collapsed on our front porch. I spent four hours trying to scrub all the blood off of the wood."
I threw my good arm up in the air in protest. "I still don't need a Life Alert button!"
Sue shook her head in amusement. "I'll see you crazy kids later. Don't forget I have to change that bandage tonight when I get home, I don't care if I have to wake you up to do it. Bye, kids!" Seth and I both yelled our own goodbyes as she walked out the front door, still glaring at one another.
Seth grinned, and said in a high falsetto, "Help, I'm Bella and I've fallen and hurt myself again! Make sure to bring some bleach and a scrub brush to get the blood stains out of the carpet!"
I rolled my eyes. "Oh, shut up. I'm older than you." Nice one, Bella. Nice.
He grinned wider. "I have the possibility of turning into a giant wolf. While you remain a human who gets hurt a lot. Because of their own actions."
I pointed my finger at him, actually kind of enjoying the quipping. "Listen here, mister, I'll have you know that I am a human who may get hurt a lot, but I survived a vampire attack. Beat that."
Seth pointed to a picture of him and Leah on the wall that I hadn't noticed before, it looked like it had been taken a couple years ago and it looked like they were wrestling. "Leah taught me how to wrestle so well I'm on the Varsity team as a freshman."
I grinned. "I was on the Varsity Math Competition team in sixth grade."
"I can throw a football almost as long as a whole football field."
"I can do a cartwheel."
"I have watched every single episode of Sex and the City."
"I watched the Notebook and didn't cry."
"I watched Titanic and didn't cry."
I leaned back in my chair, grinning. "I once ate nothing but bird entrails for a week." One of Renee's more brilliant ideas.
Seth looked positively disturbed. "What? Ew. Gross. No, really. Yuck. How did you live? How are you still alive?"
I sighed delicately and said, "When one injures oneself often enough, they build up a high tolerance for uncomfortable situations and pain, as well as the nifty bonus of a strong stomach."
Seth shuddered; his face looked haunted by whatever mental images he was conjuring. "I believe you have won this round, Bella. I have nothing to top that." Then his face cleared, and he grinned. "Yet. I still have a full life ahead of me."
I snorted. "And I don't? I'm not that much older than you, Seth."
Seth shook his head, frowning. "I'm not talking about you not living longer than me because of age, Bella. You're going to die before I do because-" Here he kind of choked on the words a little bit, his face clouding for a brief second before irritation covered it. "Oh, hell."
I spread my hands out in front of me, dreading what I thought was coming. "What?"
He shook his head. "I can't tell you. Orders."
Guessed it on the nose, Bella. My eyes narrowed. "Did Sam order you to not tell me anything too?" Sam was still keeping secrets from me? At his guilty nod, I continued icily, "Well, I don't care. From now on, you have permission to tell me anything you want to tell me. Is that clear?" I was pissed. I was a goddamn imprint, for fucks sake. I was the Alpha's imprint. Did that not mean anything except that my only purpose was for having sex with the wolf who I was mated to?
Seth seemed a little frightened. "Crystal clear, Bella." I ignored him and continued fuming. Did being outside of the pack and not a full member mean that I would have to deal with more secrets and more lies than before? Did it mean that if I choose to not become a member of the pack, that I would have to deal with not knowing anything, all the time?
I stood up angrily. "Fuck the order, Seth. What is it that you can't tell me?" He shook his head, his face miserable. I felt something stir within me. I hated being lied to, and I hated secrets. Especially when they had something to do with the people closest to me. "Seth." The stirring of something iron-willed and determined rose further. My voice sounded different, almost resonant, when I said very clearly, "You will tell me."
He spoke in a rush, "Werewolves live forever as long as they keep phasing. Most werewolves chose to give up phasing for one reason or another or have died fighting leeches, but there have been some in the legends who are supposed to have lived for centuries."
I sat down heavily in my chair, the powerful feeling gone. Werewolves were immortal?
I must have said it out loud, because Seth frowned and said, "Not really. It's complicated." We were silent for a little while before Seth whispered, "How did you do that?"
I rubbed my eyes, feeling a headache coming on. "Do what, Seth?"
"Break the order." My head snapped up to stare at him. His face was half curious, half awed. I broke one of Sam's orders? I'd never done that before. Too be honest, I didn't think that anyone had done something like that before.
"I don't know, Seth. Aren't the Alpha's orders supposed to be un-breakable?" He nodded in response to the whispered words. I sat back further in my chair. I broke one of Sam's orders. Maybe Sam was right. Maybe there was more to being an imprint than anyone realized.
I sighed, leaning my head in my hands. "This is so fucked up." It was. I didn't know up from down anymore, it felt like. Normal things that normal teenagers like Jessica and Angela worried about, like homework and partying and sex; was lost in a supernatural shitstorm of vampires, werewolves, near death experiences, and fucking ORDERS.
A large hand began to pat my good arm awkwardly. Seth's voice was understanding when he said, "Yeah, it kind of is." His hand was relatively warm to me; I noticed when he retracted the limb. I remembered Sam's deep voice saying, "It's one of the signs that someone's about to phase."
I pushed the thought from my mind. Harry had said that Seth was too young. And even if he wasn't, Seth's body temperature didn't seem nearly as hot as Sam's or the other boys. Seth is not on the verge of phasing, Bella. At least, I hoped.
Sunday, September 22 7:57 P.M. La Push, WA BPOV
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Leah's foot tapping was driving me crazy. She, Seth, and I had each spent the day trying to sort through this wonderful fountain of knowledge we'd been granted thus far on werewolves. Well, Leah was sulking still, Seth was outside shooting hoops, and I was doing all the sorting. I'd broken down so far that I'd made a fact list, a pros vs. cons list, a family tree diagram of who all could have the possibility of becoming a werewolf, and I wrote three whole pages on why the cons list only included things that were cons for non-Pack members. And that's not counting the pages I'd written on the possible explanations for why I had the ability, it seemed, to break an Alpha Order.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
I shifted my stance on the sand of First Beach. Around six thirty, Leah'd finally stomped downstairs from her bedroom and announced that she and I were off to First Beach to await the Council. An hour and a half later, the sun was still up and the Council was nowhere to be seen.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Leah crossed her arms over her chest. Upon arrival, she had informed me that speaking was probably not the greatest idea with her at the moment. I agreed. I didn't think I could form a proper sentence anyway, I was so nervous. So we just stood side by side, silent as a graveyard, waiting for the sun to set.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Well, maybe silence was a bit of a stretch.
After all, I didn't think that someone with as much fire in them as Leah could ever be silent. Still.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
In order to stop myself from snapping at the rather imposing Quileute beside me to stop that goddamn tapping, I asked her cautiously, "So do you think they forgot or something?" The sun was almost halfway down on the horizon, and other than a family way down the beach packing up their kids and their stuff, there wasn't another soul to be seen. Leah simply shrugged and began to pick at her fingernail polish.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
I grit my teeth. Stop, Bella. Calm down. I looked over to the family down the beach, watching them pack up their little red minivan and drive off. I looked back at the sun, where I could just see the last moments of it's descent.
Behind us, someone cleared their throat, and I spun around to see eight elderly men arranged in a perfect line behind us. Holy shit. I thought the wolves were the only ones who could sneak up on people like that. Some of the men on the Council I knew, like Harry Clearwater, Billy Black, and Old Quil. That didn't make any of them less terrifying in that moment.
I've never seen Harry look like that before. Harry Clearwater and his son were a lot alike. The most obvious similarity about them was their sunny dispositions. Harry displayed none of that here. He wore the same somber, fathomless expression that Old Quil wore all the time.
Billy spoke first. "Isabella Marie Swan, Leah Hannah Clearwater. You both have been brought before the Council tonight so that we may all understand what your intentions are concerning your knowledge of the Spirit Warriors."
A thin man with two braids of pure white hair standing next to Old Quil said in a creaky voice, "The ancient secrets of our tribe are precious to us. Leah Clearwater, you have grown up with these stories and know their meaning. You know the legends, what little we reveal to our youth."
He turned to me, his beady eyes piercing my own. "You, Bella Swan, know not the value of what you posses. You know not the price of what becoming a tribe member would be, no matter the price of becoming a mate to a Spirit Warrior. Nor the honor of either. We are not sure of your worth to us, those who do not know you."
"Sam's wolf chose me for a reason, sir. I don't think it was a decision made lightly." Holy fuck, Bella. You're such an idiot. I honestly didn't know where that retort had come from. But I was so tired of everyone telling me that Sam's imprint had been some kind of mistake or something. That I wasn't worth anything to these people. That same stirring of iron I'd felt earlier today with Seth began to circle low inside of me.
Old Quil nodded. "The wolf has chosen you, yes. But do you choose the wolf, without knowing the price?"
What price are they talking about? I quickly reviewed all of my conversations with Sam on the subject of joining the pack. "Unless you become a full member of the tribe, renouncing ties to all but flesh and blood…"
But what did that mean? Old Quil was speaking again. "Leah Clearwater, your family has been a part of the Ancient blood since the second Pack. You have already pledged your allegiance to the tribe, and therefore to the Pack. Being a possible future member of the Pack," Here Harry stiffened a little, but Old Quil continued, "We do not require you to pledge your loyalty until your twenty first year has come and gone. If a Spirit Warrior you should become, there are other vows you will recite."
He looked back to me. "But you, Isabella Swan, need to make your decision. Even though your soul and that of Samuel Uley's have joined, you can never be truly mated unless you join the Pack."
Another member of the council, with startlingly blue eyes, said almost hatefully, "A paleface has never before been so close to our secrets. Why, do you think, the Alpha Wolf chose you?"
Something about the way he spoke set that iron feeling reeling. So that's what this was about. If their reluctance had been because they really didn't think that I was good enough for Sam, I probably could've handled that. But to suggest that Sam, that their Alpha, that my wolf made a mistake in choosing a mate? Blood began to pound in my veins, my body straightened tall, and I spoke back with ice in my words. "Do you dare question the judgment of your Alpha?" Where did that come from?
I felt the divide again, and I barely registered curiosity and confusion from Sam underneath the fire of pure fury that was uncurling within me. "How dare you."
The man with the blue eyes glared. "How dare I? How dare you, little girl. You are not of our tribe, you share not our beliefs. You do not deserve the knowledge you possess. You do not deserve to be mated to a Wolf."
I drew myself higher. I'd had enough. I felt as if something very powerful was unfurling inside of me, trying to break free. "You know not of what you speak. You know nothing of the Wolf's reasoning behind his choice." My words turned a strange tone of resonance, of power. My hands began to shake. "You know nothing. If the Wolf chooses me, I choose the Wolf."
I realized that by now, I was standing in front of the man with blue eyes. And instead of seeing the hate from before, I saw fear. My upper lip twisted in disgust as I told him, "The actions of your Alpha are not yours to judge. Nor yours to know." I felt lightheaded, almost dizzy. I didn't know what I was saying anymore, but the words just kept coming.
The man's blue eyes were truly frightened, and some devilish part of me rejoiced in it. How dare he threaten the authority of my wolf? He would learn. They all would. I looked around to the other seven members, all of whom had frozen in place, watching me like prey watch their predator.
My mouth spoke again. "Never again question the decision of your Alpha. Never again question the judgment of any Spirit Warrior." I turned back to the man with blue eyes. I practically growled at him, "Punishment for not heeding my words would be most unpleasant."
You said what now? Although my mind was bewildered by the way my mouth was behaving, my mouth still kept going. "What I find to be absolutely unacceptable here is that your Alpha's imprint is asking you for help, and for information. And is receiving neither."
I stepped back to stand next to Leah, feeling calmer, though none of the iron in my veins went away. Old Quil's head was cocked slightly to the side, his eyes fixed intently on me, studying me.
"You are most strange, Isabella Swan." At my cool look, he continued, "It seems to me that you are correct. It was not our place to judge our protectors. However, it is our place to educate. If you so choose, I can tell you something of how the wolves first came to be. This would help you realize their importance in our lives."
I nodded. "I want to learn more about what my life is becoming." Because otherwise, I'd be just as worthless as they already thought I was. And to me, that was unacceptable, because I knew that since Sam's Wolf thought I was worthy, then I must be so.
Old Quil cleared his throat and began. "This is the story of the great Chief Taha Aki. Taha Aki was a man of peace and was known for his wisdom. However there was one man named Utlapa who believed that they should use their magic to expand their control over the Hohs and the Makahs, building an empire. When the spirit warriors left their bodies their minds were all connected with each other. Taha Aki did not like what Utlapa wanted and banned him from the tribe. Utlapa left and hid in the nearby forest.
"Taha Aki was vigilant and protected his people even when there was no danger. Every so often, the Spirit Chief would leave the village to a sacred and secret place in the mountains. He would leave his body behind and searched the surrounding areas for any dangers or threats. One day, Utlapa followed Taha Aki planning to kill him, but as he waited for him to leave his body he hatched another plan. Utlapa left his body, took Taha Aki's body, and killed his own. Taha Aki knew immediately what was happening when Utlapa joined him in the spirit world. He raced back to his sacred place but was too late. He followed his body in his spirit self down to the tribe. For weeks he watched with despair as Utlapa made sure everyone believed he was Taha Aki. Then Utlapa's first edict came: no warrior was to enter the spirit world because he had a vision of danger, but in truth he was afraid of Taha Aki. Utlapa took liberties with the tribe that no one ever dreamed of. He took a second and a third wife, even though Taha Aki's wife still lived. Eventually, Taha Aki brought a great wolf down the mountains to kill Utlapa and free the tribe, but Utlapa only hid from it behind his warriors. The wolf ended up killing a young man, making Taha Aki's grief greater.
"Taha Aki had been away from his body long enough to be in agony. He felt doomed of never being ever to cross the line between life and death. The great wolf followed him through the forest and Taha Aki felt jealous of the animal; at least it had a body and a life. At that moment the Spirit Chief had an idea that changed the future of the Quileutes. He asked the animal if he could share his body with him and the wolf complied. As a single being, the wolf and the man went to the village. The people feared the wolf, shouting for the warriors' help. The warriors came with spears in their hands, but they stopped in surprise of what the wolf was doing: the wolf was retreating from the warriors and trying to yelp the songs of their people. The warriors realized what it was doing and could only think that it was being influenced by a spirit.
"An old warrior, Yut, disobeyed the orders of the false chief and left his body. Yut gathered the truth in an instant and welcomed Taha Aki. Almost instantly, Utlapa realized what had happened and raced towards Yut's body with his knife. The other warriors were confused. Yut went back into his body but could not fight Utlapa off before warning the others, as he was too old. Taha Aki watched as Yut's spirit left the world and he returned to the wolf's body feeling a great rage. The wolf shuddered and transformed into a man before the eyes of the warriors. The man did not look like Taha Aki's body, but like his spirit self, which the warriors recognized instantly. Utlapa tried to run but Taha Aki had the strength of the wolf and killed him. Upon realization of what had happened, everything returned to normal. The only change he kept in place was the forbidding of spirit travel. From then on he was known as the Great Wolf or the Spirit Man. He led the tribe for many years because he did not age. He fathered many sons, who in time found that they too could turn into wolves on reaching manhood. However, they were all different because the wolf form reflected the spirit of the man. Some became warriors like Taha Aki and did not age, others did not like to transform, and started to age."
As Old Quil's voice faded, I found myself better able to understand what was at stake. It wasn't just my life that these boys, no these men, were protecting. It was a whole civilization. It was centuries of history, of secrets, of magic, of blood, sweat and tears. They were protecting something too precious to imagine. And by doing so, they had to fight off things like vampires.
"Where do vampires come in, in all this?" I'd kind've gone off of the assumption that the wolves had been created specifically to fight vampires, when I now realized vampires had, until recently I guess, a small blip on their radar of Things-To-Worry-About.
Billy grinned. "That's a story for another time, my dear. You now know as much about our Warriors as we can tell you. The rest will have to wait."
I glanced at all eight men before me. "Wait? Why does it have to wait?" What was it that these old men were hiding from everyone?
The oldest man there lifted his snow white head. His face was so worn and leathery looking I was beyond guessing his age. His deepset eyes were darker and wiser than even Old Quil's. His frail body looked ready to turn to dust even as he sat in his wheelchair. "Because of the signs, dear girl."
His voice was surprisingly deep and rich, rivaling even Sam's. "The signs of change, of prosperity in danger, of power in weakness, and the sign of completion." His voice got stronger, ringing out over the beach. "There will come a night, when the last wolf will phase, and the Spirit Wolves will have finally reunited. The Wolves will rejoice, and will grow stronger than any single Wolf or Pack before them. But even the strongest Wolf does not matter when there is nothing to protect. Each Wolf will seek something specific."
And with that, he bowed his head once more. Leah spoke almost cautiously, "So what do you want from us?"
Old Quil nodded. "Nothing, as things stand now. When the last Wolf phases, that might change." His eyes found mine. "Everything might change."
Monday, September 23 2:01 A.M. La Push, WA BPOV
Tap. Tap. Tap.
I rolled over, mumbling, "Leah, stop tapping your feet." Then I remembered we weren't on First Beach anymore, we were in Leah's bedroom.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
So who was doing that stupid tapping? I sat up, rubbing my sleepy eyes against the darkness. Leah mumbled something in her sleep from her bed. Not wanting to disturb the beast and incur its wrath, I quietly rose from my sleeping bag and tip-toed to the window.
Sam's hulking form stood outside, holding what I guessed was rocks. Oh my god. Werewolves throw rocks at windows too. I felt my stomach soar up to lodge itself in my throat. What was he doing here? Sam beckoned with one large hand towards himself. Well, what are you standing here for like an idiot? There's a hot man down there who wants to see you! I gave him a wait signal, before heading downstairs.
It was chilly outside, and since my bandages were still firmly attached, thank you Sue, I was wearing a tank top to bed, instead of my normal longsleeves. I shivered as a cold breeze blew past me. Sam's arms were around me before I saw him move. Again. Damn those wolf abilities. I snuggled further into his bare chest.
"If you didn't plan on coming to see me to start something, you should've worn a shirt." Sam chuckled at my playful tone.
"I like your choice of pajamas too, by the way." I grinned. His chest rumbled when he spoke, and I could feel the vibrations of his voice down in my belly. I sighed. We really didn't see each other enough.
I felt like I was cold all the time. And Sam's body heat was actually an amazing feature right now. I whispered, "What did you come see me for?"
One of his hands began to stroke my hair. "I was patrolling all day, and instead of coming to see you, I accidently crashed on my couch."
I giggled. "Nice, Sam." He 'hmph'ed.
We stood there for a few more seconds before Sam asked, "How did your meeting with the Council go?" I didn't know how Sam knew about the meeting, but that was a question for another time.
"They were cranky at first, but I finally got some answers out of them. Little bastards." Sam let a bark of laughter loose, surprising me by how close it sounded to actual barking. I grinned. Sometimes they really do act like animals. I continued, "The Council doesn't want me to join the Pack-" Sam's body hardened in an instant. His arms locked around me, I heard his heartbeat speed up, and a low growl rose from his muscular chest.
"Sam, what-" One of his massive hands grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked my head to the side, revealing my bruised neck to him. Sometimes they really do act like animals.
The growling got louder. "Can't keep you from us." His Alpha voice was back. I knew without looking that his eyes were getting that golden rim in them. His wolf was coming out to play. I felt around for his emotions, recoiling when I found a wall of possessive anger and desire.
His head dipped down so that his mouth grazed where he'd bruised me. "You are ours." Heat uncurled in my belly, drifting lower. Something about when Sam let the guard around his wolf drop turned me on. He was wild, he was feral.
Bite him. My eyes snapped open. I was supposed to do what now? Bite him. The voice sounded like mine, but different. It sounded like my voice had on the beach, and when I'd broken Sam's order to Seth. This was the imprint's voice. Bite him!
Acting on instinct, I turned my head and pressed a hot, open mouth kiss to his neck before sinking my teeth into his skin on the same spot that he had bitten me. Sam's arms gripped me so tight I could barely breathe, his hard dick rubbing into my belly through our clothes as he roared his approval.
I could taste something coppery on my tongue, and I was surprised I'd bitten him hard enough for it to bleed. Around the skin, I said in that voice like iron, "Then you are mine."
I released him, and he lifted his head to stare at me. His eyes were pure gold, rippling like waves in the ocean. He snarled at me, revealing that his incisors had elongated. "Ours!" His voice sounded like his Wolf's howl, there was no trace of humanity left in it. There was nothing human about either of us, in that moment.
I bent my head to the side, showing him my bruised skin, part of me knowing, probably the imprint part, that he was going to lay a claiming mark if I let him. His human control was gone, and all that was left was the wolf.
"I am yours." He lunged forward, roaring in success as his teeth broke my skin. I cried out in pain, my vision flashing white. I felt Sam's emotions clearer than ever before, but it was more than that. It was like I knew exactly what the Wolf was doing right now, what a Claiming Mark meant to a Wolf. Now that I bore his Mark, I would always be his. His Wolf was asserting its ownership of me.
I am going to be so bruised tomorrow at school. But I really didn't care, because I knew that Sam's Wolf, and Sam himself, were going to take a selfish delight in seeing the marks they'd left on my skin. Because I was one step closer to being completely theirs. Sam's mouth unlatched itself from my neck and he pulled away. My vision focused in, and a slow grin curled across my face.
Sam's neck had already healed, but a very clear and precise set of my teeth marks scarred his russet skin. If I was theirs, they were mine.
A/N: I am an asshole. I am. I AM SO SORRY. I CANNOT APOLOGIZE ENOUGH FOR THE TIME SPENT AWAY. Writers block, school, camps, jobs, fucking LIFE hated me for forever, there. So I decided to speed the story up a little bit. Sam and Bella are mad at me though. They didn't want to have a cute moment, which is why I started with the whole throwing rocks at the window thing. Uh-huh. They weren't having it. So…this happened. And the beach scene with the Council… We'll get into that whole hornet's nest later. I'm back baby! I'm back for good!
