Chapter 11 –Legends coming to life

…

"One more! Please Grandpa Billy."

Billy let out a low chuckle.

"Ryder are you sure you aren't too tired."

Ryder shook his head avidly. The seven year old boy was spending the weekend with his grandfather. Although Billy had told him numerous stories already and let him look at the pictures in the ancient books of the tribe that held all the legends, the boy wasn't tired of hearing the tales.

Billy rolled his wheelchair closer to the bed, he was incapable of denying his grandson anything and he'd always encourage Ryder's will to learn more about the tribe. Someday his grandson would phase and not only take over his fathers position as Alpha of the wolf pack, but he will also inherit the title of Chief of the tribe. His own son, Ryder's father, had never shown much patience with the legends. Even the ones that were not written down. So he would tell Ryder all.

Billy had formed a close relationship with his daughter-in-law Leah, she had shown interest in the legends and she and Billy both understood the need to preserve them. So even though Billy was making sure that Ryder would know all the stories by heart, he was also working with Leah to write them all down.

"Please, Grandpa!"

Ryder pulled him out of his musings and he looked at his grandson.

"Alright Ryder. But this is an important tale. For it is the tale of Kwa'ili, the oldest chief that ever was."

Ryders eyes widened. "How old was he, Grandpa Billy? How old?"

Billy raised an eyebrow and shook his head. Ryder grinned at his Grandfathers motion to have some patience and Billy almost laughed at the look. He had often seen it on Jacob. Ryder sat up in bed and crossed his little legs, looking anxious to hear the tale.

"Alright, let's see," Billy started and he settled back in his chair, getting comfortable himself. "Kwa'ili lived not long after Taha Aki did."

"In fact Kwa'ili was Taha Aki's greatest warrior, he was the only other wolf that survived the attack of the cold woman; the woman seeking revenge on the tribe for killing her mate. You remember the tale of the Third Wife, don't you Ryder?"

The boy shook his head. "Yes, the Third Wife who sacrificed herself to safe Taha Aki after she already watched her sons get killed."

Billy nodded.

"Indeed. Kwa'ili and Taha Aki were the only two members of the tribe left that had the ability to phase into the wolf protectors of the tribe. Soon after the attack Kwa'ili was called to the bedside of Taha Aki. The chief was dying. He sustained wounds during the battle that, combined with the loss of his sons and his wife, had caused him to give up on life.

The dying chief grabbed Kwa'ili's hand as soon as he was seated next to him. He confided in him, told him he was a great man with great magic. That he would have to lead the tribe now that Taha Aki had only daughters to carry on his line.

He told his warrior to marry his youngest daughter, the one most like her mother and told him to bring forth more protectors, more warriors. Of course Kwa'ili promised this and as soon as he had, Taha Aki's spirit went on to the next world.

And so it was done as Taha Aki had wanted, Kwa'ili married the old chief's youngest daughter and with her he got many sons and many daughters. But no more threats were there. The tribes on the surrounding lands had learned of the magic of the Quileute people and they had either fled away or, like the Makah tribe, they decided to form an alliance.

The times were peaceful and Kwa'ili ruled his people with courage and wisdom, but inside he was a restless man. He sought comfort in the arms of his wife and in the smiles of his children, but he did not age with them for he was still the only wolf of the pack. Soon his wife passed on to the spirit world and one by one their children followed her, leaving Kwa'ili broken.

Kwa'ili never broke his promise to Taha Aki. He kept protecting the tribe and the people, but in doing so he outlived his human soul. He became confused, distracted and phased without cause or warning. He feared that he would unknowingly hurt his people. He feared for the tribe. So he got up early one morning, walked into the forest and phased.

That was the last time that Kwa'ili phased. He remained in his wolf form, protecting his people from afar, watching them live their lives. Watching them grow and laugh and love, while he stayed alone in the woods.

They say he lived as a man and a chief for more then two hundred years. That he lived as a wolf and protector for more then four hundred years, when finally the Spirits took pity on him. The Great Spirit came to Kwa'ili in the forest and he praised him. Never before had there been a warrior who had cared more for his people, and so they rewarded him.

Kwa'ili is still in the woods, he runs a permanent circle around La Push, he watches over the people of the tribe. He is now known as The Spirit of the True Alpha. They restored his soul and he is now in peace and he will forever do what is most important to him, watch over the tribe."

Leah was pacing the kitchen and kept looking out of the window looking for signs of Jake, Ryder or Riley.

Jake had come home an hour ago and told her everything had gone great with Ryder. They had talked and apparently cleared the air. But Ryder needed some time to let it all sink in and he would probably ask more questions soon, but for now he seemed alright.

A howl had sounded about fifteen minutes after he'd gotten home, Riley had jumped down the stairs, calling out a quick "See you later!" he ran out the door toward the forest. Leah couldn't help but worry every time that happened. Of course she wasn't overly concerned. Her boys were strong wolves, big too, and they could handle themselves. But still they were her boys. Then again, Jake's pack been always been her boys, and she worried about all of them. That was the privilege of being the Alpha female.

Five minutes later Jake's cell rang and he had grinned saying it was Brady, but when he answered the phone he'd lost the grin. He squeezed her hand and mumbled a "be right back" before running out of the door in a dead run. Leah hated being left behind like this with no clue what was going on. She hated being treated as if she was fragile and needed to be protected, but it wasn't like she could have called Jake back. He was gone before she knew it.

The phone rang again and it had been Emily telling her that apparently Ryder and Ty had gotten into a huge fight. Brady had stopped by their place to get Sam and she had send Jayden their way too.

Now Leah couldn't do anything but wait; wait and pace the kitchen until all her boys came home.

She froze in place as two people came walking out of the woods, Ryder and Riley, but Jake wasn't with them. She lost all her calm and patience when she saw the bandages around Ryder's neck and she stormed out of the house, running down the porch toward her kids.

"Ryder! Riley!"

"Mom! Don't run!"

They both yelled at her and caught her as she flung herself at her sons, one arm around each. She held them tight and the supported her in turn.

"You fought!" She stepped back and slapped Ryder on the back of the head. "What were you thinking?"

He grinned slightly rubbing the back of his head.

"Damn mom, you still slap as hard as ever."

This cause Riley to burst out laughing and Leah grinned wide, proud that she still had some part of her old self in her. She wrapped an arm around each of the boy's waist and walked toward the house between them, savoring their warmth.

She got them in the house and put them at the kitchen table, immediately starting to make coffee and something to eat. An annoying habit she picked up when her motherly instincts had kicked in.

"So, what happened?" Riley looked at Ryder just as expectedly as Leah was. Ryder just shrugged his shoulders and kept wringing his hands together.

"Riley, why don't you start?"

"Hey, I didn't do anything!"

"No, but what did you see?"

"Oh," he looked at Ryder and back to his mom. "Well, not much really. When Caira howled and we came to look at what was going on we just saw Ty and Ryder fighting. It was pretty rough actually. But they told us to stay out of it, which was stupid."

"It wasn't stupid." Ryder intervened. "It was necessary, it's an Alpha thing."

"Yeah, yeah, everything is an Alpha thing."

Riley made a face and Leah sat down the coffee. Ryder wrapped his hand around the hot mug, shaking his head.

"It was, -" he frowned at stared at the coffee as if he willed it to burn.

"It was like nothing I have ever experienced. Like nothing I ever want to feel again. But it wasn't me. I heard Ty in my head and it was like blacking out. No," he interrupted himself. "it wasn't like blacking out because I could see and hear everything, I just wasn't in control."

He fell silent and just stared at the coffee, Leah looked at Riley who shrugged. She stared at Ryder, the wheels in her head turning. She had only once heard of something like this before. It's what Sam had told her happened. The night they shared in the cave, the night Ryder was conceived. Sam had told her it was as if something else had come over him, something that turned to control his body making him a spectator in his own body.

And Jake… Jake had experienced it too.

…

We can't defeat them like this!

We shouldn't want too!

Bullshit, Embry! They are a bunch of leeches and they broke the law!

Your law!

Paul growled and lunged for Embry his huge head hitting his side, throwing him down.

Paul!

No! You asshole!

Who are you calling an asshole, Quill

Suddenly all hell broke loose. The packs had come together to discuss what happened with the Denali's, the 'cousin-coven' to the Cullens.

They had moved temporarily to Forks to be with the Cullens when one of their own went missing. The pack hadn't known the details of what was going on. They didn't particular care for the details either. The treaty was still effective and the Cullens and the shifters coexisted easily, but that was it, a friendship wasn't allowed. A ruling that caused Seth the greatest heartache in the beginning, but it was for the best. The Denali's had moved here and the Alpha's agreed with Carlisle and Edward that the treaty would include them. Only because the Cullens felt so strongly about their 'family'.

The status quo had changed. This afternoon a Denali leech had attacked a local resident of Forks. Some of the pack understood that this local, Lauren Mallory had certain ambitions. And she had had a fierce hatred of Bella Swan.

How it all happened we didn't know exactly, but apparently Lauren had aided the Volturi in their search to secure Edward and Bella into their coven, and she had helped them get it. Causing the Denali's to be so angered that they had killed the girl.

Leah?

What Seth?

Where do you stand?

They broke the treaty.

Seth whined, and I understood him too. The Cullens and he had been friends. He liked them and didn't think of them as leeches. When he was ordered to stay away from them it had caused him great pain. And even now he would defend their position.

Seth, you stupid ignorant pup! How can you even begin to defend them?

Watch it Jared. I growled at him.

Jared snarled at him, but he was interrupted when Embry and Paul, who were still fighting, bumped into him causing Jared to snap at Embry.

Alphas had permitted both packs to share one pack mind for this occasion, we needed to decided what was going to happen. If we were going to engage the Cullen's and Denali's it had to be a mutual decision.

Sam was pushing through the fighting wolves. Everybody was hot headed and things had gotten out of control. Twelve wolves in one mind was too much. Too many thoughts, too many opinions, it was crippling and it caused brother to turn on against brother.

I felt a shimmer moving through the air, but I couldn't track it. Collin was pushed against my flank, and I couldn't stop the growl. He bared his teeth at me, his ears flat and he sank back on his hinges. He was going to attack.

Seth suddenly flew past me attacking Collin before he had a chance, they snarled and rolled around the forest floor together.

I wanted to lunge forward and help Seth but that shimmer was back and suddenly a deafening roar went through the pack mind. The roar, growl, what ever it was, wasn't anything I had heard before. It was a sound that didn't belong to a member of either pack, and the power that came with it….it was crippling. I fell to the forest floor, my eyes shut tight and my head down, bowing to the power of the wolf in my mind.

Ashamed…

I couldn't make out who it was, but it was definitely a wolf. I peeked an eye open and found that the entire pack was flat on the ground. Everyone had their head between their legs, necks exposed to the authority that spoke. Even Sam was flat on his stomach. I looked around as much as I could, and to the right of me was a wolf standing. It was Jake.

His russet fur was moving in the wind, his stance tall and proud, I looked up at his face but the sun colored eyes were gone. I gasped mentally, because his eyes were completely black.

That's not Jake.

I couldn't stop the thought from coming out, because it wasn't him. My Jake had soft eyes, even when angered and feral, he always had a light color, and when he looked at me that light color something shone like the sun.

He turned his head toward me and his eyes met mine, but it didn't happen. They were angered, they were black. That wasn't my Jake.

Indeed female.

He came over and pressed his nuzzle to my neck, sniffling my fur.

Although I'm honored to meet the first female wolf in history. The true Alpha Female.

I didn't like his voice when he addressed me. It was too personal, too filled with intent, too sexual…and his expression only added to that feeling. The black eyes roamed my form. I couldn't move from him, not only because of the authority he represented, but I was afraid. He was so powerful and he wanted me.

Don't fear me, Alpha Female.

I wondered what he meant, when he suddenly pulled back from me and walked around all wolves. They kept their eyes closed and heads down. Was I the only one who couldn't help but marvel at this wolf and at the same time fear what happened to my Jake?

You all should be ashamed. Never before has a brother turned on a fellow brother. Never before has a pack fought with so much intent to kill. Being the biggest pack in the history of our people isn't an excuse.

He paused and walked around us slowly. Sam's eyes shot open and he looked at the wolf when it approached him. The same thing happened with Paul, Embry and Quill. As if the wolf was talking to individual pack members. But how could that be.

There will be repercussions to your actions. A human has been killed by those who we are supposed to kill. I understand Ephraim Black, I understand the need and reason he had to enter the treaty. But it is not our purpose. We do not exist to make treaties with the cold ones.

I couldn't tear my eyes away from Jake, he looked so ancient, so powerful. So different. Especially when his eyes found mine again.

A life for a life. That is how it always was and always will be.

No.

The whisper came from Seth who had his eyes shut and was curled up like he was in pain.

Yes. The rules are ancient. They have been set and must be obeyed!

Fury came rolling in waves from Jake, his voice booming through the pack mind it was enough to make my fur stand up straight.

But don't worry young one. The life debt has been paid already. Three of the cold ones were taken because of the humans actions and only two will return.

Who?

Seth cried the word but the wolf didn't hear him, or chose not to answer.

You still have a job to do, wolves. You must do what you were created for. Only in this instance you will do it by the rules of Ephraim. The vampires must leave. All of them must pay for this crime by giving up their home. They must not return, not in this lifetime or that of the next two generations.

The wolf came to me again and lowered his muzzle, brushing it against mine. It was a gesture that Jake often did when we were phased. A simple, but very affectionate gesture, and even now it felt right. I heard the wolves ancient and powerful voice in my head then, and somehow I knew I was the only one that heard it.

If only you had lived in my time, female.

He lowered his head and tilted it to the side giving me a plain view of his neck. And I realized he was offering it, he was showing his submission to me. I got to my paws in pure shock and amazement but before I could respond in any way, the wolf lowered until it was laying on the floor his head between his front paws. He closed his eyes and I just stared at him.

Slowly the pack mind started up again, as if someone had opened up the barriers between our minds and only now we could here each other again.

I was still staring at Jake when he opened his eyes and blinked a few times before he looked up at me. He formed his incredibly cute wolfish grin, the suns shining bright in his eyes.

Jake!

I moved to him nuzzling his neck and he returned the gesture. He sniffed my fur and whispered a soft:

Hey Lee

…

Leah was still staring at her son when Jake came through the door, looking completely exhausted.

He walked to the kitchen and sunk down on a chair, holding his hand out to Leah, who quickly accepted it and sat down on his lap, running a soft hand through his hair.

"Ty needs to stay the night in the medical facility." Jake started. "Jayden needed to reset quite a lot of broken bones, but he will heal after some time."

Ryder looked down, his face a mixture of sorrow and anger. Leah reached out to her oldest son and softly padded his hand.

"He'll need time to heal, he'll need rest. So Ryder," he addressed his son now. "Sam and I have decided to merge the packs for the time being, you being Alpha to both. Riley and Caira both will serve as Beta."

Ryder shook his head. This is why he had engaged Ty wasn't it, originally it was for the control of the packs. Before it had changed into a fight for the Alpha female. Then how come he didn't like the news now? How come he didn't want it?

But he just nodded. Both Sam and his dad were still his seniors and besides his dad was chief. He had to listen.