The Third Wife

The sun was fast approaching the western horizon when I got a call from Mama telling me that her car broke down so badly that they she and the others had to stay the night at a hotel in Seattle. "Just ask Jacob to take you home, alright?" said Mama.

But Jacob was still hiking with Bella. Leah was reluctant to bring me back to the apartment, where I would be alone. "Vampires tend to leave entire families alone, but not those to live in solitude," said Leah. "Besides, they don't like attracting too much attention."

That was Leah's way of convincing me to sleep over. That also meant I had to join her and her brothers in the party that Jacob had mentioned earlier.

"I really hate being a party crasher," I heard Bella complaining to Jake as the two of them approached. All the tribe's elders and the members of the wolf pack were already gathered around the bonfire.

"Technically, you're a council meeting crasher," corrected Jacob. "See? The council leaders—Dad, Quil's grandpa, and Sue Clearwater; she took over for Harry when he died."

"Okay, I should not be here," whined Bella.

Leah and I looked at each other. "I know it's annoying but, don't you think I don't belong here either?" I asked Leah.

"Billy's not about to kick you out so it's okay," said Leah, referring to Jacob's dad.

Jacob was also explaining to Bella, "You're okay. I thought it—they thought it would be good for you to hear the histories."

"Histories?—the tribe's histories, aren't they secret?"

"We all got a role to play. You're a part of this."

Of course, she is. She's affiliated with the tribe's enemy.

"Of course, she is," said Leah, surprising me. "She's related to Quil."

"It's the first time Seth, Leah and Quil will hear them too. But you are the first outsider—ever—you and Beulah, of course," continued Jacob.

"If I had known that, I would have—like—dressed better," said Bella.

"Like she cares about dressing up," I whispered to Leah.

Seth got up to say hi to Jacob. Leah explained to me that Jacob was Seth's closest friend among the pack and treated him like a big brother more than anyone. Jacob liked Seth as much, as he gladly introduced the pack's newest member to Bella.

Then, we were all gathered around the fire. And Billy Black began the story:

"The Quileutes have been a small tribe from the beginning. But we've always had magic in our blood. We were great spirit warriors—shape-shifters that transformed to the power of the wolf. It has enabled us to scare off our enemies and protect our tribe.

"The spirit warriors were more than either wolf or man. They live for many, many years, for they did not age. Some, who did not like the transformation, refused to join the pack of wolf-men. These began to age again, and the tribe discovered that the wolf-men could grow old like anyone else if they gave up their spirit wolves. The last spirit warrior, Taha Aki had lived the span of three old men's lives. He had married a third wife after the deaths of the first two, and found in her his true spirit wife. Though he had loved the others, this was something else. He decided to give up his spirit wolf so that he would die when she did.

"One day, our warriors came across a creature that looked like man. But it was hard like stone and cold as ice. Our warriors' sharp teeth finally tore it apart. But only fire can completely destroy it.

"They lived in fear that the Cold Man was not alone. They were right.

"The Cold Man's mate took her vengeance out on the village. Our Great Chief Taha Aki was the last spirit warrior left to save the tribe after his son was killed. But Taha Aki had grown old. His spirit wife could see that he would lose. The third wife was no magical being—no special powers but one: courage.

"The third wife grabbed a knife from the belt of one of the sons who stood beside her. They were all young sons, not yet men. She knew they would die when their father failed.

"The third wife ran toward the Cold Woman with the dagger raised high. The Cold Woman smiled, barely distracted from her fight with the old wolf. She had no fear of the weak human woman or the knife that would not even scratch her skin.

"And then the third wife did something the Cold Woman did not expect. She fell to her knees at the blood drinker's feet and plunged the knife into her own heart. Blood spurted through the third wife's fingers and splashed against the Cold Woman. The blood drinker could not resist the lure of the fresh blood leaving the third wife's body. Instinctively, she turned to the dying woman, for one second entirely consumed by thirst.

"The third wife's sacrifice distracted the Cold Woman, long enough for Taha Aki to destroy her. She saved the tribe.

"Over time, our enemies have disappeared. Only one remains: Cold Ones. Our magic awakens when they're near. And we sense it now. We feel the threat in our blood. Something terrible is coming. And we must all be ready—all of us." Billy Black's eyes looked straight at Bella, half-concerned and half-accusing her of this trouble.

I glanced at Leah, who was crying. Unlike the others, she was not at all happy to be part of this. Later, at her house, after Bella had gone home, I asked, "Is it true that you can stop being a werewolf if you want to? I mean, that's what Jacob's dad said."

"Yes, but it will take a while. One must first learn to fully control his powers, to not transform spontaneously at the onset of a powerful emotion. That takes discipline and time—a lot of time, especially for us who are so young," said Leah.

"So it would take a while for you to be like this before you could give it up and resume aging?"

"Yes, unfortunately; but from the stories I heard, those who give it up resume aging sooner than the others. Knowing that, there's hope for me."

"But isn't it also honorable, to be the first she-wolf of the tribe?"

"Yes, sometimes that thought makes me feel better about my condition. It's just hard to keep that in mind when the others' thoughts keep interrupting your own."

"That must suck."