The wolf pack fell silent at Rowan's challenge.

Well, as close to silent as they had been since they had left the presence of the Cullens at least.

Keegan's sharp gaze took in the way that the shifters seemed to glance at one another, their unease apparent in the lines of their bodies. Quil even went so far as to shove a whole dinner roll in his mouth as if he thought he would need an excuse not to speak if she or Rowan turned their sights on him instead of Sam.

The aforementioned Alpha, however, didn't falter under Rowan's hard stare. Instead, he simply looked back at the male hunter, tilting his head a bit as he seemed to take a moment to consider the situation.

"Our pack has legends that are passed down from generation to generation. They're the stories of our ancestors, of the wolf spirits that protect our tribe. They're really the only information that we have on our abilities outside of what we have learned from our own experiences as a pack." Sam told them, releasing his fiancee from his embrace then so that he could step closer towards the pair of hunters.

"We don't share those stories with outsiders." He stated plainly, and as if he could sense Rowan's objections forming, he held up a hand to pause the outspoken man before pressing on. "But there are exceptions."

His heavy gaze shifted from Rowan to Keegan then, the weight that it held being something that she felt came from the responsibility and power he held within his pack.

"You shared your own background with us, at least partially, so we are willing to do the same with you. However, there are some parts of our story that are not mine to tell you." He said and it felt as if he was speaking directly to Keegan at that moment rather than to Rowan as well.

She didn't understand why that was, but she was willing to listen nonetheless.

She figured that there was no harm in hearing the wolves out.

"Then whose are they?" Rowan asked, his voice edged with steel that hadn't been there before.

The man couldn't quite place the unease that was brewing within him and he went back and forth between thinking that the pack could be good allies. Overall, they seemed to be against vampires as much as hunters were and they had the drive to protect humans much like themselves as well. However, there was something about how they looked at Keegan as if including her in some unspoken circle that put him on edge. He didn't like how Paul's eyes never seemed to leave her for more than a moment.

He was more than used to his friend being ogled, being attractive was simply helpful for the hunter gig, but the look behind the shifter's eyes was more than just simple lust.

He looked at her as if he knew her- as if he cared for her. He looked at her like she was the only thing worth looking at.

Sam didn't answer Rowan's sharp question, instead choosing to simply hold Keegan's gaze until she finally nodded.

"Tell us what you can." She prompted.

As Sam stepped towards the center of the room, Keegan moved towards her partner, only stopping once her shoulder was pressed against his bare arm.

"As a tribe, we've always had magic in our blood." Sam began, his words capturing the attention of everyone in the room. It was obvious to Keegan that much like her people, the wolves treasured their legends.

"From the start, we were great spirit warriors. Shapeshifters, ones that transform into the powerful wolf and are armed with claws and fangs that let us scare off our enemies and protect our tribe." He lamented. "We were defenders, and one day our warriors came across a creature who resembled a man, but whose skin was hard as stone and cold as ice. They had been searching for what was causing people from neighboring tribes, and eventually our own, to disappear. Upon finding this creature, they knew he was not a being still full of life- and they discovered that it was he who had been killing their people. Needing to put a stop to the murders of their people, the pack attacked, fighting ferociously until our warriors' sharp teeth finally tore the creature apart. The son of the chief, Yaha Uta, was the only warrior left alive and he brought the creature's granite corpse back to the village leaders where they eventually found that only fire would completely destroy it. "

Keegan was completely entranced by the Alpha's storytelling, and she could feel that her partner was as well. They had their own stories of clashing with the vampire species throughout their history but never before had they heard another group's similar tale.

"Now that the Cold Man had been defeated, the wise warriors lived in fear that he was not alone. And they were right to be afraid. The cold one that they had killed to protect the tribe had a mate, and she took her vengeance on the village. She left bodies of innocent people in her wake and Yaha Uta fought to defeat her but being without a pack, he was defeated." Sam told them.

"In the end, it was only our elder chief, Taha Aki, that remained as a spirit warrior to protect the tribe. In a rage over his fallen son and to defend his people, Taha Aki lunged toward the Cold Woman, transforming into his great wolf before clashing with the beast. His love, the mother of his fallen son and his third wife, watched with horror as the Cold Woman fought her husband, a wolf who was worn and grey. Taha Aki's Third Wife could see that he would lose and knew that once he fell the rest of the village would too. So, without thought for herself, she grabbed a knife from a young nearby warrior and ran towards the Cold Woman who barely regarded her. After all, she had nothing to fear from a knife or a human." Sam explained.

"Now, the Third Wife was no magical being and she had no special powers, but she did have something crucial- Courage. The Third Wife charged the cold one, her dagger raised high but once she was near, she dropped to her knees in front of the vampire and plunged the knife into her own heart! Thick blood flowed from her wound, the scent hungering the vampire. It was the Third Wife's sacrifice that distracted the Cold Woman long enough for Taha Aki to destroy her. She saved the tribe."

As Sam's hands lowered back to his sides after his action-filled tale, it was as if a spell that had fallen over the room began to slowly dissipate.

"So, as you know, the Cold Ones remain a threat to this day and as long as they are near, our magic will awaken," Sam said, looking to the hunters. "And to tell you the truth, that nearness is something that we sense now. We feel that threat in our blood. Something terrible is coming and our pack is going to be ready for it. We have to be."

At that, Keegan looked to her partner to find that Rowan was already looking at her.

She knew he was thinking about the rise in deaths in Seattle the same as she was.

"Since we are telling truths, I think that we need to tell you about our trip to Seattle," Rowan said after a moment of silence, pulling his eyes from Keegan to look to the Alpha. "As it seems we are on the same side of this and all, I feel it's appropriate." He added, a wry smile on his lips that had Keegan resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

Rowan had found what he was looking for in the wolves, it seemed. He was more than happy to be around a group of people that saw vampires as the enemy. Which was a sentiment that she typically shared, but there were always grey areas and the Cullens, and for the most part the Denalis, fell in that grey area.

"Have you been to the beach?" A deep voice asked from beside her, the sound sending sparks of awareness from her fingers to her toes that she nearly mistook for the way they tingled to alert her to the presence of a vampire.

Turning, her eyes met deep mahogany and she found Paul looking at her as he had when he was stood on the edge of the ravine, his name a whisper on her lips, though he had more hesitance in his posture now.

"I haven't." She admitted, feeling a hope blossom in her chest though she wasn't sure exactly what it is that she was hoping for.

"I could show you... if you'd want?" Paul offered, and though Keegan didn't doubt that he would show her to the beach, she caught on to the fact that whatever they might talk about along the way held more weight than what was usual for just a stroll to the shore.

She couldn't imagine what the enigma of a shifter would have to say to her, but she felt her heartbeat quicken in her chest. More than likely, it was going to be whatever had upset Edward, she was sure of it.

The wolves had been fairly tight-lipped about that exchange, and though Sam's story-telling had given her a glimpse into the pack's past that she appreciated, it didn't answer nearly enough of her questions to satisfy her.

Keegan knew that the walk wouldn't be too far if she went with him as she had smelt the sea when stood in the trees along the edge of the clearing, but as she caught on to the fact that more than one member of his pack seemed to be trying a little too hard to seem like they were not listening to their conversation, she hesitated in accepting.

What were the wolves being so secretive about? Why would he want to tell just her? Why Paul and not Sam? Was this what was not Sam's to share? If so, why was it Paul's?

Instinctually, she sought out where Rowan was stood across the room, seeming to be in deep conversation with Sam and Jared, but warm fingers pressed lightly against the side of her chin and brought her gaze back to Paul's.

Oddly, she didn't feel the need to swat his hand away in response as she would have if anyone else that she just met dared touch her so casually.

Instead, she found herself suppressing a sigh as his fingers lingered on her skin, brushing along the edge of her jaw before he returned his hand to his side.

"It's your decision," Paul said firmly.

This definitely had to do with more than seeing the beach.

Keegan's curiosity drove her to stop overthinking the situation and instead nod her head.

"I could use some fresh air." She relented.

At her decision, Paul graced her with the first smile that she had seen appear on his face since the moment she had laid eyes on him.

Unlike his pack brothers who were rather rambunctious and constantly cracking up, Keegan had only seen Paul with expressions that didn't exactly scream happy light-heartedness.

And that was honestly a shame.

As he looked at her now, his straight teeth on full display as his cheeks creased with smile lines, Keegan felt her breath catch in her throat. Something about the untarnished happiness that seemed to ignite behind his eyes had her heart skipping a beat, the entire world taking a moment's pause so that she was able to fully appreciate the sight in front of her.

The wolf, seemingly eager for them to be on their way, took a step towards the door and like a moth to a flame, Keegan followed.

"What are you doing?"

The pull that she had felt was broken by the sound of Rowan's voice, her partner having sensed her leaving.

Blinking as if she had just been awoken from a deep sleep, Keegan took a second to gather her wits before gesturing towards the door.

"We were going to go see the beach." She told her friend whose topaz eyes narrowed slightly in response.

She could practically hear his thoughts racing as to why she would have the urge to go off alone with one of the supernatural creatures they had just met, and if she was honest, Keegan couldn't explain it herself. She didn't know how she could expect Rowan to understand something that she herself didn't.

However, after cutting his intense look over to Paul, Rowan seemed to make a decision as he headed their way.

"Alright then, let's go," Rowan said simply, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword in a way that could be considered casual or a threat depending on just how well you knew him.

"I don't remember inviting you," Paul said from behind her, his tone biting but that didn't perturb Rowan one bit.

"I don't remember needing your invitation." He replied with a smile that was too sharp to be considered friendly or agreeable.

"Rowan, it's alright. It's not as if I couldn't shove his own arm down his throat if he pisses me off." Keegan told her partner, ignore the soft snort of derision from behind her.

She would let wolf boy think he was tough if he wanted to. Sure, his arms were the size of her torso, but she'd kick his ass like anyone else. Intriguing shifter or not.

"They can kill vampires, Key." Rowan reminded her.

"Sure, but apparently it takes like 4 of them to do it." Keegan countered, causing the room to erupt in protests.

"You two sure do talk a big game for someone whose big show was jumping across a creek bed," Jared called from one side of the room.

It seemed that the idea of heading towards the beach was momentarily forgotten as hunters exchanged a glance before Keegan was raising a brow at Jared.

If they had cared to look, they would have seen the daggers that Paul was glaring at his packmate over that fact.

"That a challenge, Fido?" Keegan asked, causing the man to hesitate as he seemed unsure about how he was supposed to proceed now that she had called him out in return.

"I could go for a good ole fashion spar, though I have to say, we've never fought anything with fur before," Rowan said, a smirk pulling at his lips.

"Well, there was that bloke in that Italian club, Ro. Don't forget about him, he was rather furry." Keegan reminded her partner, chuckling as he did at the memory of the handsy bloke who, by pure chance, turned out to be selling warehouse space to a vamp that was fighting newborns.

"I can't fight you..." Jared said, his words trailing off awkwardly and Keegan did roll her eyes at that.

"I'm not a human girl, mate. You're not going to hurt me. Just don't tear off any limbs and we'll be right as rain." She reasoned, turning to look at Paul when a low rumble sounded from behind her.

She took in his displeased expression, all traces of the breathtaking smile he wore only moments ago gone, and the return of the slight trembling of his hands, and reached out to wrap her lithe fingers around his wrist before she could think too deeply about what exactly drove the action.

Like a charm, his brow smoothed out and he was looking at her with something akin to awe and agony all at once.

"He can't fight with you, Keegan. None of us will." Sam told her and annoyance rose quickly within her.

"Fine, tuck tail," She scoffed.

"They're smart to be wary." Rowan chimed in, eyeing the pack around them. "They hurt you and they know that they would bring down the wrath of your Cullens, but they also don't know what kind of force comes with our kind."

"Oh so now you're old and wise?" Keegan said, shaking her head before pushing on her friend's shoulder.

"I've always been wise- cool it on the old thing though, love," Rowan told her.

"Now I really could use some fresh air." She announced, still annoyed since she was nearly positive the wolves were brushing off her friendly challenge because they saw her as a delicate female that could get hurt.

Ridiculous.

Rowan looked out one of the many large windows that lined the front of the house in response to her declaration before turning back to look down at her.

"It's getting late anyway. We should get back to Cullen turf before our clock runs out here." He told her, not bothering to keep his words quiet and it seemed that at least Paul had taken some offense to them.

"We wouldn't hurt you, she's safe here." He growled, his tone a harsh contrast with his kind words.

"There's no clock. You both are welcome on our land. As you said before, we have a common enemy and you helped us with the information about newborns potentially being in the area." Sam interjected.

"Thank you for that and we are glad to be of some help but... Ro's right. We should get going... for now." Keegan said, feeling a sharp pain in her chest as she did so.

Unconsciously, her hand rose to the spot that ached and she noticed Paul taking a step closer, one hand beginning to rise towards her before he seemed to think better of it and dropped it back down to his side.

His fingers flexed, moving as if to just give them something to do.

"You'll come back?" He asked and immediately Keegan nodded, an action that seemed to ease some of the ache away.

"We'll be around. We have to take care of this newborn problem before it becomes any worse and the Council catches wind." Rowan said, stepping up until he was practically pressed against Keegan's back, eyeing Paul critically over her head.

"The Council?" Sam asked but Rowan simply smirked in lieu of an answer.

"If you got a secret to trade, Alpha, then get it ready for the next time we're around," Rowan told him, obviously not willing to spill any more information about the world of hunters just yet.

"The newborns... you guys plan to go after them alone?" Seth asked from where he was still sat at the table, his eyes having had followed the conversation like it was a tennis match.

"That's our job, kid," Keegan told him simply, unconcerned.

"That's too dangerous. You're only two people." Paul said, but Rowan cut over him, obviously at his patience's end with the pushy shifter that seemed to have no boundaries when it came to personal space or understanding how long is too long to stare at someone.

"Two is enough for most jobs which is why we hunt in pairs. Genetically, and with the help of whatever supernatural magic, we're pretty cut out for this hunting gig as it turns out. If we needed backup, we'd call backup, but we don't. We're leaving." Rowan snapped, surprising even Keegan with his abrupt harshness.

Without a word, she turned to gently pat Rowan's chest, looking to soothe him but also knowing that if irritated, he wouldn't lighten up until they were leaving the situation.

"Alright, let's go." She agreed, moving to gently push him along to the door as she looked back at Sam.

"Thanks for having us, Sam, Emily. I'll talk to the Cullens about being in touch, maybe come around the boundary to talk if one of you are around." She rambled as they headed for the door.

Pushing Rowan out of it, though he didn't need much pressing, Keegan paused instead of immediately following. Her eyes found Paul as if drawn there by a magnetic force.

The frown on his lips and the unhappiness behind his eyes had the ache returning to her chest once more, watching as his hand raised to touch the spot that she had earlier on her own.

The action startled her and her brows furrowed as she looked at him.

Keegan felt like she was leaving with so many important questions yet to be answered.

"You still owe me a walk on the beach, wolf boy." She told him, pleased with herself once the corners of his lips drew up slightly.

"I wouldn't miss it," Paul replied and with one last smile tossed over her shoulder, Keegan pushed out the screen door and hopped off the porch to run into the quickly darkening woods.

"Something is not being said," Rowan told her once they were far enough away from the house and were nearing the boundary line that would begin the Cullen's land.

"Then we'll just have to figure it out or find a way to get them to tell us," Keegan reasoned, jumping over the ravine that had started it all.

The hunters stopped once they were on the Cullen's land, looking at one another under the moonlit trees.

There was silence between them as they considered one another.

Keegan thought about Rowan's fondness of the pack's basic ideals, his willingness to share some things with them but not others, his urgency for an abrupt departure.

Rowan thought about how Keegan's eyes had seemed to drift back to that shifter throughout the evening, the way the shifters glanced at one another anytime she spoke or how their eyes widened and looked at Paul anytime he had touched his partner as if expecting him to react.

With so many thoughts running through their heads, for once without being aligned, the pair felt a step off beat.

Holding out her hand to her partner, Keegan was relieved when he threaded his fingers through hers.

"Let's walk the rest of the way. I've missed just having you to myself." She told him, eliciting a soft smile from the man that he saved for her and his sisters alone.

"I'm hard to not miss." He quipped back, laughing as he dodged her swatting hands.