This is just a review of the Quileute legends, in case you forgot them. :)
Disclaimer: All of the characters from the Twilight series belong to Stephenie Meyer. The Quileute Legends are also by Stephenie Meyer and are from Eclipse.
-Quileute Legends-
Spirit Warrior Intro, pg 244:
The Quileutes have been small people from the beginning. And we are a small people still, but we have never disappeared. This is because there has always been magic in our blood. It wasn't always the magic of shape-shifting -that came later. First, we were the spirit warriors.
The Beginning of the Spirit Warriors, pg 244:
In the beginning, the tribe settled in this harbor and became skilled ship builders and fisherman. But the tribe was small, and the harbor was rich in fish. There were others who coveted out land, and we were too small to hold it. A larger tribe moved against us, and we took to our ships to escape them. Kaheleha was not the first spirit warrior, but we do not remember the stories that came before his. We do not remember who was the first to discover this power, or how it had been used before this crisis.
Kaheleha was the first great Spirit Chief in our history. In this emergency, Kaheleha used the magic to defend our land. He and all his warriors left the ship -not their bodies, but their spirits. Their women watched over the bodies and the waves, and the men took their spirits back to our harbor. They could not physically touch the enemy tribe, but they had other ways. The stories tell us that they could blow fierce winds into their enemy's camps; they could make great a great screaming wind that terrified their foes. The stories tell us that the animals could see the spirit warriors and understand them; the animals would do their bidding.
Kaheleha took his spirit army and wreaked havoc on the intruders. This invading tribe had packs of big, thick furred dogs that they used to pull their sleds in the frozen north. The spirit warriors turned the dogs against their masters and then brought a mighty infestation of bats up from the cliff caverns. They used the screaming wind to aid the dogs in confusing the men. The dogs and bats won. The survivors scattered, calling our harbor a cursed place. The dogs ran wild when the spirit warriors released them. The Quileutes returned to their bodies and their wives, victorious.
The other nearby tribes, the Hohs and the Makahs, made treaties with the Quileutes. They wanted nothing to do with our magic. We lived in peace with them. When an enemy cam against us, the spirit warriors would drive them off.
Taha Aki & Utlapa, pg 246-251:
Generations passed. Then came the last great Spirit Chief, Taha Aki. He was known for his wisdom, and for being a man of peace. The people lived well and content in his care. But there was one man, Utlapa, who was not content. Utlapa was one of Chief Taha Aki's strongest spirit warriors -a powerful man, but a grasping man, too. He thought the people should use their magic to expand their lands, to enslave the Hohs and Makahs and build an empire.
Now, when the spirit warriors were in their spirit selves, they knew each other's thoughts. Taha Aki saw what Utlapa dreamed, and was angry with Utlapa. Utlapa was commanded to leave the people, and never use his spirit self again. Utlapa was a strong man, but the chief's warriors outnumbered him. He had no choice but to leave. The furious outcast hid in the forest nearby, waiting for a chance to get revenge against the chief.
Even in times of peace, the Spirit Chief was vigilant in protecting his people. Often, he would go to a sacred, secret place in the mountains. He would leave his body behind and sweep through the forests and along the coast, making sure that no threat approached.
One day when Taha Aki left to perform his duty, Utlapa followed. At first, Utlapa simply planned to kill the chief, but his plan had its drawbacks. Surely the spirit warriors would seek to destroy him, and they could follow faster than he could escape. As he hid in the rocks and watched the chief prepare to leave his body, another plan occurred to him.
Taha Aki left his body in the secret place and flew with the winds to keep watch over his people. Utlapa waited until he was sure that the chief had traveled some distance with his spirit self. Taha Aki knew the instant that Utlapa had joined him in the spirit world, and he also knew Utlapa's murderous plan. He raced back to his secret place, but even the winds weren't fast enough to save him. When he returned, his body was already gone. Utlapa's body lay abandoned, but Utlapa had not left Taha Aki with an escape -he had cut his own body's throat with Taha Aki's hands.
Taha Aki followed his body down the mountain. He screamed at Utlapa, but Utlapa ignored him as if he were mere wind. Taha Aki watched in despair as Utlapa took his place as chief of the Quileutes. For a few weeks, Utlapa did nothing but make sure that everyone believed he was Taha Aki. Then the changes began -Utlapa's first edict was to forbid any warrior to enter the spirit world. He claimed that he had a vision of danger, but really he was afraid.
He knew that Taha Aki would be waiting for the chance to tell his story. Utlapa was also afraid to enter the spirit world himself, knowing that Taha Aki would quickly claim his body. SO his dreams of conquest with a spirit warrior army were impossible, and he sought to content himself with ruling over the tribe. He became a burden -seeking privileges that Taha Aki never requested, refusing to work alongside his warriors, taking a young second wife and then a third, though Taha Aki's wife lived on -something unheard of in the tribe. Taha Aki watched in helpless fury.
Eventually, Taha Aki tried to kill his body to save the tribe from Utlapa's excesses. He brought a fierce wolf down from the mountains, but Utlapa hid behind his warriors. When the wolf killed a young man who was protecting the false chief, Taha Aki felt horrible grief. He ordered the wolf away.
All of the stories tell us that it was no easy thing to be a spirit warrior. It was more frightening than exhilarating to be freed from one's body. This is why they only used their magic in times of need. The chief's solitary journeys to keep watch were a burden and a sacrifice. Being bodiless was disorienting, uncomfortable, horrifying. Taha Aki had been away from his body for so long at this point he was in agony. He felt that he was doomed -never to cross over to the final land where his ancestors awaited, stuck in this tortuous nothingness forever.
The great wolf followed Taha Aki's spirit as he twisted and writhed in agony through the woods. The wolf was very large for its kind, and beautiful. Taha Aki was suddenly jealous of the dumb animal. At least it had a body. At least it had a life. Even life as an animal would be better than this horrible empty consciousness. And then Taha Aki had the idea that changed us all. He asked for the great wolf to make room for him, to share. The wolf complied. Taha Aki entered the wolf's body with relief and gratitude. It was not his human body, but it was better than living in a void of the spirit world.
As one, the man and the wolf returned to the village on the harbor. The people ran in fear, shouting for the warriors to come. The warriors ran to meet the wolf with their spears. Utlapa, of course, stayed safely hidden. Taha Aki did not attack his warriors. He retreated slowly from them, speaking with his eyes and trying to yelp songs of his people. The warriors began to realize that the wolf was no ordinary animal, that there was a spirit influencing it. One older warrior, a man named Yut, decided to disobey the false chief's order and try to communicate with the wolf.
As soon as Yut crossed into the spirit world, Taha Aki left the wolf -the animal waited tamely for his return- to speak with him. Yut gathered the truth in an instant, and welcomed his true chief home. At this time, Utlapa came to see if the wolf had been defeated. When he saw Yut lying lifeless on the ground, surrounded by protective warriors, he realized what was happening. He drew his knife and raced forward to kill Yut before he could return to his body. "Traitor," he screamed, and the warriors did not know what to do. The chief had forbidden spirit journeys, and it was the chief's decision how to punish those who disobeyed.
Yut jumped back into his body, but Utlapa had his knife at his throat and a hand covering his mouth. Taha Aki's body was strong, and Yut was weak with age. Yut could not even say one word to warn the others before Utlapa silenced him forever. Taha Aki watched as Yut's spirit slipped away to the final lands that were barred from Taha Aki for all eternity. He felt a great rage, more powerful than anything he'd ever felt before. He entered the big wolf again, meaning to rip Utlapa's throat out. But, as he joined the wolf, the greatest magic happened.
Taha Aki's anger was the anger of a man. The love he had for his people and the hatred he had for their oppressor were too vast for the wolf's body, too human. The wolf shuddered, and -before the eyes of the shocked warriors and Utlapa- transformed into a man.
The new man did not look like Taha Aki's body. He was far more glorious. He was the flesh interpretation of Taha Aki's spirit. The warriors recognized him at once, though, for they had flown with Taha Aki's spirit. Utlapa tried to run, but Taha Aki had the strength of the wolf in his new body. He caught the thief and crushed the spirit from him before he could jump out of the stolen body.
The people rejoiced when they understood what had happened. Taha Aki quickly set everything right, working again with his people and giving the young wives back to their families. The only change he kept in place was the end of spirit travels. He knew that it was too dangerous now that the idea of stealing a life was there. The spirit warriors were no more.
The magic passed on, pg 251:
From that point on, Taha Aki was more than either wolf or man. They called him Taha Aki the Great Wolf, or Taha Aki the Spirit Man. He led the tribe for many, many years, for he did not age. When danger threatened, he would resume his wolf-self to fight or frighten the enemy. The people dwelt in peace. Taha Aki fathered many sons, and some of these found that, after they had reached a certain age of manhood, they, too, could transform into wolves. The wolves were all different, because they were spirit wolves, and reflected the man they were inside.
Some of the sons became warriors like Taha Aki, and they no longer aged. Others, 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. 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 was something else. He decided to give up his spirit wolf so that he would die when she did. That is how the magic came to us, but it is not the end of the story…
The Third Wife's Intro, pg 252:
That was the story of the spirit warriors. This is the story of the third wife's sacrifice.
The Third Wife's Sacrifice, pg 252-259:
Many years after Taha Aki gave up his spirit wolf, when he was an old man, trouble began in the north, with the Makahs. Several young women of their tribe had disappeared, and they blamed it on the neighboring wolves, who they feared and mistrusted. The wolf men could still read each other's thoughts while they were in wolf forms, just like their ancestors had while in their spirit forms. They knew that none of their number was to blame. Taha Aki tried to pacify the Makah chief, but there was too much fear. Taha Aki did not want to have a war on his hands. He was no longer a warrior to lead his people. He charged his oldest son, Taha Wi, with finding the true culprit before hostilities began.
Taha Wi led five other wolves in his pack on a search through the mountains, looking for any evidence of the missing Makahs. They cam across something they had never countered before -a strange, sweet scent in the forest that burned their noses to the point of pain. They did not know what creature would leave such a scent, but they followed it. They found faint traces of human scent, and human blood, along the trail. They were sure this was the enemy they were searching for. The journey took them so far north that Taha Wi sent half the pack, the younger ones, back to the harbor to report to Taha Aki. Taha Wi and his two brothers did not return.
The younger brothers searched for their elders, but only found silence. Taha Aki mourned for his sons. He wished to avenge his sons' death, but he was old. He went to the Makah chief in his mourning clothes and told him what had happened. The Makah chief believed his grief, and the tensions ended between the tribes.
A year later, two Makah maidens disappeared from their homes on the same night. The Makahs called on the Quileute wolves at once, who found the same sweet stink all through the Makah village. The wolves went on the hunt again.
Only one came back. He was Yaha Uta, the oldest son of Taha Aki's third wife, and the youngest in the pack. He brought something with him that had never been seen in all days of the Quileutes -a strange, cold, stony corpse that he carried in pieces. All who were of Taha Aki's blood, even those who had never been wolves could smell the piercing smell of the dead creature. This was the enemy of the Makahs.
Yaha Uta described what had happened: he and his brothers had found the creature, who looked like a man but was hard as a granite rock, with the two Makah daughters. One girl was already dead, white and bloodless on the ground. The other was in the creature's arms, his mouth at her throat. She may have been alive when they cam upon the hideous scene, but the creature quickly snapped her neck and tossed her lifeless body to the ground when they approached. His white lips were covered in her blood, and his eyes glowed red.
Yaha Uta described the fierce strength and speed of the creature. One of his brothers quickly became victim when he underestimated that strength. The creature ripped him apart like a doll. Yaha Uta and his other brother were more wary. They worked together, coming at the creature from the sides, outmaneuvering it. They had to reach the very limits of their wolf strength and speed, something that had never been tested before. The creature was hard as stone and cold as ice. They found that only their teeth could damage it. They began to rip small pieces of the creature apart while it fought them.
But the creature leaned quickly, and was matching their maneuvers. It got its hands on Yaha Uta's brother. Yaha Uta found an opening on the creature's throat, and he lunged. His teeth tore the head off of the creature, but the hands still continued to mangle his brother. Yaha Uta ripped the creature into unrecognizable chunks, tearing pieces apart in a desperate attempt to save his brother. He was too late, but, in the end, the creature was destroyed.
Or so they thought. Yaha Uta laid the reeking remains out to be examined by the elders. One severed hand lay beside a piece of the creature's granite arm. The two pieces touched when the elders poked them with sticks, and the hand reached out towards the arm piece trying to reassemble itself. Horrified, the elders set fire to the remains. A great cloud of choking, vile smoke polluted the air. When there was nothing left but ashes, they separated the ashes into many small bags and spread them far and wide -some in the ocean, some in the forest, some in the cliff caverns. Taha Aki wore one bag around his neck, so he would be warned if the creature ever tried to put himself together again.
They called it The Cold One, the Blood Drinker, and lived in fear that it was not alone. They only had one wolf protector left, young Yaha Uta. They did not have long to wait. The creature had a mate, another blood drinker, who came to the Quileutes seeking revenge.
The stories say that the Cold Woman was the most beautiful thing human eyes had ever seen. She looked like the goddess of dawn when she entered the village that morning the sun was shining for once, and it glittered off of her white skin and lit the golden hair that flowed down to her knees. Her face was magical in its beauty, her eyes black in her white face. Some fell to their knees to worship her. She asked something in a high, piercing voice, in a language that no one had ever heard. The people were dumbfounded, not knowing how to answer her. There was none of Taha Aki's blood among the witnesses but one small boy. He clung to his mother and screamed that the smell was hurting his nose. One of the elders, on his way to the council, heard the boy and realized what had come among them. He yelled for the people to run. She killed him first.
There were twenty witnesses to the Cold Woman's first approach. Two survived, only because she grew distracted by the blood, and paused to sate her thirst. They ran to Taha Aki, who sat in counsel with the other elders, his sons, and his third wife. Yaha Uta transformed into his spirit wolf as soon as he heard the news. He went to destroy the blood drinker alone. Taha Aki, his third wife, and his elders followed behind him.
At first, they could not find the creature, only the evidence of her attack. Bodies lay broken, a few drained of blood, strewn across the road where she'd appeared. Then they heard the screams and hurried to the harbor. A handful of Quileutes had run to the ships for refuge. She swam after them like a shark, and broke the bow of their boat with her incredible strength. When the ship sank, she caught those trying to swim away and broken them, too.
She saw the great wolf on the shore, and she forgot the fleeing swimmers. She swam so fast she was a blur and came, dripping and glorious, to stand before Yaha Uta. She pointed at him with one white finger and asked another incomprehensible question. Yaha Uta waited. It was a close fight. She was not the warrior her mate had bee. But Yaha Uta was alone -there was no one to distract her fury from him. When Yaha Uta lost, Taha Aki screamed in defiance. He limped forward and shifted into an ancient, white muzzled wolf. The wolf was old, but this was Taha Aki the Spirit Man, and his rage made him strong. The fight began again.
Taha Aki's third wife had just seen her son die before her. Now her husband fought, and she had no hope that he could win. She'd heard every word the witnesses to the slaughter had told the council. She'd heard the story of Yaha Uta's first victory, and knew that his brother's diversion had saved him. 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, and she knew they would die when their father failed.
The third wife ran towards 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 she was about to deliver the deathblow to Taha Aki.
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 fresh blood leaving the third wife's body. Instinctively, she turned to the dying woman, for one second entirely consumed by thirst.
Taha Aki's teeth closed around her neck. That was not the end of the fight, but Taha Aki was not alone now. Watching their mother die, two young sons felt such rage that they sprang forth as their spirit wolves, though they were not yet men. With their father, they finished off the creature.
Taha Aki never rejoined the tribe. He never changed back to a man again. He lay for one day beside the body of the third wife, growling whenever anyone tried to touch her, and then he went into the forest and never returned. Trouble with the cold ones were rare from that time on. Taha Aki's sons guarded the tribe until their sons were old enough to take their places. There were never more than three wolves at a time. It was enough. Occasionally a blood drinker would come through these lands, but they were taken by surprise, not expecting the wolves. Sometimes a wolf would die, but never were they decimated again like that first time. They'd learned how to fight the cold ones, and they passed the knowledge on, wolf mind to wolf mind, spirit to spirit, father to son.
The Cullens, pg 259:
Time passed, and the descendants of Taha Aki no longer became wolves when they reached manhood. Only in a great while, if a cold one was near, would the wolves return. The cold ones always came in ones and twos, and the pack stayed small.
A bigger coven came, and your own great-grandfathers prepared to fight them off. But the leader spoke to Ephraim Black as if he were a man, and promised not to harm the Quileutes. His strange yellow eyes gave some proof to his claim that they were not the same as other blood drinkers. The wolves were outnumbered; there was no need for the cold ones to offer a treaty when they could have won the fight. Ephraim accepted. They've stayed true to their side, thought their presence does tend to draw in others.
And their numbers have forced a larger pack than the tribe has ever seen. Except, of course, in Taha Aki's time. And so the sons of our tribe again carry the burden and share the sacrifice their fathers endured before them.
(A/N: Hopefully, typing up the legends wasn't a waste. I know that the odds are that you aren't going to get up and look at your copy of Eclipse. Lol. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed it!! And I am soooo sorry for not updating sooner!! I dedicate this chapter to Sakamoto Michiko for telling me to update!! Thank you so much Smitteh!)
The fanfic begins
-Next day-
-Alex-
My elbow sat on the wooden desk, with my forehead resting against the palm of my hand. I stared at the computer screen with a frown. I liked telling stories, but I detested writing about them and my thoughts. I never had been good at writing. I always had to check my grammar, but at least my spelling was okay. I always had to use synonyms -this was college and teachers don't bother reading crappy papers- and I always had to rewrite. Irritation swirled around in my system, giving me an urge to just delete it and turn off my laptop.
All of a sudden, upbeat music started playing from my pocket. I quickly grabbed my cell phone and flipped it open; eager to distract myself from my paper.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Alex," said a female voice from the other end. Guilt tore at my insides. Leah sounded unsure. She was no longer comfortable with me; she was probably calling me for Rachel.
I pushed my guilt aside. "Hey, what's up?" I asked casually, as my heart went into a ragged rhythm.
"Are you busy?" she asked, sounding hesitant.
Guilt tore at me again. Then depression settled on me; I had this stupid paper to type. I wouldn't be able to hang out with her. Although the time together was crucial for our friendship; I wanted to show her that she could trust me. That she wouldn't have to lie to me like she had done so to Derek. "Yeah, I'm writing this paper about the Quileute legends," my tone exposed my dislike of writing.
There was no reaction on the other line.
I waited a few seconds, and then a few more seconds, until I finally asked, "Leah?"
"Yeah?" she answered, sounding breathless.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm just a little surprised. Um, La Push is a small town; I figured that you would choose a place better known to write a paper about."
"Nah, people from my class probably have to boring same stuff typed up. The teacher might be able to grade mine decently if he's not half asleep when he's reading it."
"They'll certainly revive him from his boredom." Leah said, her voice sounded forcefully light. She even laughed.
I went along with her tone, pretending that I didn't hear. "Yeah, he's looking pretty old too. Hopefully it doesn't revive him too much -I don't want the excitement to rush his heart."
"Mmm, yeah." Leah replied sounding distracted. "So where did you hear the Quileute legends from?" Her tone made it sound as if the answer to her question was a situation concerning life or death.
"My mom."
She didn't reply, her silence told me that she wanted more information.
"My mom was friends with a woman named Sarah Black. They went to high school together. Sarah told my mom the legends on Halloween years ago; I was pretty young back then. Anyways, my mom was thrilled and told me, knowing that I loved stories."
Leah was silent again, but I sensed that it was from shock.
"Leah?" I asked, wanting her to stay on planet Earth.
"Huh? Sorry. I was just…" she trailed off, looking for the right word. "Surprised, I guess. I'm sort of friends with Sarah's son."
"You're friends with Jacob?"
"Yeah," she answered, sounding unsure of her own words.
"Small world." I said, chuckling. "How is he?"
"Um, he's alright, I guess. He's been having it rough the past few years."
I remained silent, urging her with my quiet to continue.
"Girl issues."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Is everything alright now?"
"He's been learning to get over her."
So the girl was already gone. Poor Jacob. "What about Rachel and Rebecca? How are they?"
"Er, Rebecca got married -she lives in Hawaii now. And Rachel is close to graduating at Washington State -she had gotten a scholarship."
"Wow, time flies. How old is Jacob now? Nineteen?"
"He'll be twenty in a couple of months."
"I haven't seen him since Sarah's funeral…" I said, mostly talking to myself, getting lost in old memories.
Leah let me think without interruptions for a minute or two until she asked, "Did you want any help on that paper? I'm sure that I could fill in any missing information."
"Sounds great." I said. I was sure to get a hundred percent on my paper now. Leah could give me the details that I had forgotten. Her coming over would also do our friendship some good. "I'll give you the directions to my apartment."
Leah didn't respond right away; she did though after ten seconds. "Maybe you should let Rachel know…"
"Why?" I asked, not seeing her logic.
"I don't want to upset her."
That made me laugh, "Rachel is totally cool with us hanging out. Relax, Leah."
""Kay. So where's your apartment?"
I gave her the directions.
-Leah-
I said bye to Alex and shut my phone. Oh man, I was in deep. I would have to be extra careful not to do anything that would expose my being a werewolf, and keep a painfully respectable distance from Alex. Kissing him out of impulse would crash our friendship into the ground faster than the speed of light. Okay, maybe not that fast, but pretty damn fast. I flopped down on the couch and closed my eyes. I sat there for fifteen minutes and then got up. No one paid much attention to me as I strode down the hall and out of the building. I headed straight towards the woods. When I got there, I found some trails, and that made me nervous. A large wolf seen on campus would be very bad.
Sadly, imprinting magic has side effects, such as loss of judgment, lustful thoughts, watery eyes -dripping may occur-, chest pains, dizziness, and headaches. Imprinting is not for you if you suffer from painful breakups, loss of social life, or any other related conditions. Talk to your vampire doctor about imprinting, he or she may be able to treat overdoses by sicking their coven on you. For more information, contact Taha Aki -the spirit that no one will believe you've ever met.
I sighed. I've been watching too much tv; I'll have to concentrate on homework from now on. I jogged off of the trail. When I was figured that I was far enough away from the trails, I took off my clothes and shoes. I tied my shoes together with the laces so I won't lose either. Heat raced the length of my spine and then spread to the tips of my fingers and toes. I dropped to my knees, my body trembling. My muscles stretched, my bones cracked, and light gray fur exploded from my skin. The process of phasing only took a second, and it was disorienting, as usual. I picked up my clothes -and my shoes- with my sharp teeth, since I didn't have my pouch with me. I ran. The speed was thrilling and fluid motions of my muscles felt good. The trees blurred as I lithely ran through the forest.
Before I knew it, I was knocking on Alex's door -a little muddy but fully clothed. I examined my nails as I waited. After ten seconds with no reply I knocked again. I waited a few more seconds and then pressed my ear against the metal door. I heard running water. Oh dear god, he was taking shower. I shook my head to keep my imagination in check. Imagining Alex in a towel would not help my self control. The water stopped. There were some rushed movements. Then there were footsteps nearing the door. I quickly pulled my ear away and began to examine my nails.
The door unlocked and opened; there stood Alex, gloriously in a towel. His hazel eyes met my brown ones. My breath caught in my throat, and butterflies swirled around in my stomach. Alex's lean muscle may not be as prominent as Sam's but it was definitely there. The towel hung low, exposing his hip bones. The scent of his body wash and shampoo crashed into me; it mingled with his own, making the urge to pull him closer only more intense.
I shoved my hands in my jean pockets and plastered on a disapproving expression. "You should put clothes on before you answer the door."
"I didn't want to keep you out here," he said in a smooth voice, a pink tinge in his cheeks. Alex stepped aside for me to enter.
I walked in and paused to examine the place where Alex, my soul mate whether I liked it or not, lived. The carpet was a pacific blue, while the walls were a lighter shade. The living room held a three-cushion long couch; the material was a soft looking light gray. There was a glass coffee table in front of the couch only a foot and a half away. The curtains that hung in the window were a blue-gray color. Parallel to the couch was a fairly decent sized tv; it was sandwiched my two shelves of books and DVD's. The carpet turned to wood when the kitchen began. The kitchen had the usual; fridge, stove, sink, and countertop. The oak table also sat on the wood floor; covered in papers, books, and a laptop. Past the kitchen was a hallway; further down a door was open, and I assumed it was the bathroom because the carpet in front of the door was wet -trailing over to the front door. Beyond the door was a mystery, but I figured all that was left was Alex's bedroom.
I noticed that the laptop on the table was on and had a word document up. "How about I read your paper while you get dressed?"
Alex nodded. "Sounds like a plan."
I took a seat in front of the computer and tried not to stare at Alex's butt as he walked past. I tore my eyes away and began reading his paper. A few minutes later he came out wearing jeans -his butt still looked good- and a long sleeved shirt -lean muscle visible through the fabric-. His hair was still wet and disheveled.
"Alright, tell me how bad it is," he said, sounding almost serious.
I smiled, "I fixed your grammar for you, if that's what you mean."
"Sometimes commas and I just don't get along."
I chuckled. "Well, I hate to tell you this, but you forgot a few things."
"What things?"
"His name is Taha Aki, not Taki Aha."
"You mean was." Alex corrected, but seemed as if he was storing my words into a mental file cabinet.
I nodded in acknowledgement, and continued on. "You also only have the story of how werewolves came to be. You're missing a good piece of the legend."
"What am I missing?"
"The story of Taha Aki's third wife." I said. There was a slight breeze in the room suddenly, which gave me goosebumps; the windows weren't open. I hoped Taha Aki didn't mind if I told Alex Yuhi Ami's story.
"Never heard of it."
"I'm warning you, it's a sad story."
"Am I going to have to pull out the Kleenex?"
"I think you can handle it."
"Okay."
I took a deep breath and explained the Cold Woman and Yuhi Ami's sacrifice. After I was done speaking, there was a thoughtful silence.
"Wow." Alex said softly after a minute. His expression then turned curious, "So what was it that Taha Aki found in Yuhi Ami that he didn't find in his first two wives?"
I was amazed that Alex caught on to that missing detail. I swallowed trying to think of a good way to answer. "He found a more powerful love, she was his soul mate." I shrugged.
Alex nodded, thinking this over.
"I'm surprised Sarah didn't say tell your mom this story, it would have been perfect on Halloween night. With the vampires and all." I said lightly, wanting to get off of the subject.
Alex chuckled, "I'm not surprised. My mom is kinda squeamish about blood. A vampire story would be the last one she'd want to hear."
I had an urge to ask what doctor she went to, but resisted.
"What a sec, you said that the Cold Woman glittered? Are the legends suggesting that vampires sparkle?" he scoffed, a smile playing at his lips.
I just nodded.
"I think these Quileute people were high off of some kind of herb when they made up this story."
Thank Alex, for insulting my ancestors. I couldn't help but laugh though; the image of Taha Aki sniffing some herb was ludicrous. Impossible. I wiped at my eyes. "Alex!" I scolded, still laughing.
"Think about it though. The Quileute legends are about werewolves and vampires -somebody either had an extremely out of control imagination or help from a smoking herb."
"Well, whether they were sniffing things or not, you should probably type up what I told you while it's fresh in your mind." I said, now sober.
"Yeah," Alex sighed. We exchanged seats so he was at the computer. He typed for a minute and then remembered the traditional question that you're supposed to ask guests. "Oh, sorry, did you want anything? There's water, half a glass of cherry coke left, milk…" he trailed off thinking. "And food."
"I'm good." I'm starved, but I didn't want to eat all of Alex's food. I was totally capable of emptying his fridge and cabinets.
"Okay, but if you change your mind, feel free to eat or drink whatever," he said, looking at the screen, his fingers still typing.
I watched his fingers hit the keys on the keyboard with accuracy and speed. I was in awe; I haven't been on a computer since high school, so my typing certainly wouldn't be as fast. Well, maybe, but that would only be because I was cheating with my werewolf speed. I scooted my chair next to his so I could correct his grammar. I breathed in his scent. "New body wash?"
Alex stopped typing. "Huh?"
"Er, never mind."
"No, what did you say?"
"I was just wondering if you used a different body wash today." I said. I internally scowled; imprinting made it difficult to keep secrets.
"Yeah, it was on sale."
"Smells nice." The word 'nice' wasn't a strong enough adjective.
"Thanks."
"Mm-hmm."
Alex went back to typing. Other than the sound of keys being pressed, it was a comfortable silence. I felt perfectly at ease beside him; I never wanted to leave his side.
Sorry, I know that the actual chapter portion wasn't very long, but I wanted to give it to you guys now since it has been a while since I've updated. Please review, July 11th, is my birthday and I would love to wake up tomorrow to a full inbox!!