"Emily was afraid she might have a panic attack and she didn't know when Paul would come back so she thought it was a good idea."

"I understand. And she seems fine now, it should be wearing off any minute."

"Thanks, Carlisle. And for Paul, too. You know he appreciates it, in his own way."

"I know, Jacob. I'll see you back at the house."

Serena's eyes snapped open at the unfamiliar voice's words, in time to see the back of a blonde man exit the room. She was in Sam and Emily's living room, on the sofa. Jacob was sitting next to her, cross-legged. He looked up as soon as her eyes opened, an expression of relief coming over his face.

"Thank God you're awake," he ran a hand through his hair exasperatedly. "We had to sedate Paul to make sure his bones set properly, he wouldn't shut up about seeing you."

Serena sat up gingerly, then almost lay back down at the sudden dizziness his words brought on. "Bones?" she croaked. "W-what happened to him?"

Jacob looked horrified. "Nothing, nothing!" he knelt by her side and helped her sit up properly, supporting most of her weight and handing her a glass of water. "He's fine, he's just sleeping it off. Let's just get you better, okay?" with more gentleness than she had thought possible, Jacob made her finish the glass of water, then allowed her to lean against his shoulder and led her into the kitchen, where Emily and Leah were sitting at the table. Both of them immediately stood up and Emily took Serena's arm, shooing Jacob out and helping her to sit down.

Serena shook off her hand carefully and rested her forehead against her palm, leaning her elbow on the table. She caught Leah's eye and sighed. "I'm okay, I promise. I just…" she trailed off, and sighed again. "Okay, yeah, it's a lot to take in, but its not like I'm going to pass out from shock."

Leah almost cracked a smile at that. "Nah, you're made of stronger stuff. I told her you wouldn't faint."

"Are you hungry?" asked Emily quietly. "Do you want anything?"

Serena shook her head. "I just want to see Paul so he can tell me what's going on."

"He's asleep," Emily's voice stayed quiet. "You can see him when he's up, but we can answer any questions you have."

"Okay," Serena sighed and looked up at both women. "Tell me what's going on."

The look in Leah's eyes remained suspicious. "Do you really want to know this stuff?" she asked finally. "Once you hear it, Serena, you can't ignore it. Just say the word, and we can take you back to your reservation and you can forget this whole thing even happened," Serena caught movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to see that Emily was shaking her head at Leah. Her eyes looked sad, but Leah's were determined. "She should make this choice for herself, Em," said Leah quietly. "We shouldn't force her. Tell me what you want, Serena."

Serena took a deep breath. "I want to forget what I saw," she whispered. It was the truth. She didn't need to look at Emily to feel her disappointment, though she couldn't understand why the older woman would feel that way. She ignored it and settled for looking into Leah's neutral face. "It was awful, Leah. He-his eyes were red, and he was so calm," her voice broke and she covered her face with her hands, shaking slightly as she remembered the eeriness of the moment. Leonard's eyes had almost sparkled when he saw her, as if she was utterly fascinating. It made her feel sick every time she remembered the red eyes and the smooth voice that had almost lulled her, just for a second. The realization that she had been so close to one of them almost made her pass out, despite what she had told Leah. Automatically, she pulled back when Emily tried to give her a hug. She missed Paul's warmth. Shuddering, she pulled herself together and wiped her cheeks aggressively, not wanting anyone to see the tears that were already flowing from her eyes. "But I can't forget it, and I want to know what exactly is going on. Why did Paul say the-the-" she broke off, unable to say it. She let out a shaky breath.

Leah's expression had shifted from neutral to resigned. "The leeches," she began slowly. "They can't hurt us, Serena. Well, they can," she amended. "I mean, we're natural enemies so in a fight only one of us will come out on top, but it's usually us. That's what Paul meant when he said he has to stop him. That's what we're for."

Serena shook her head. "I don't understand. I couldn't even move when I saw it and-"

"There's a difference between you and us, Serena," Leah sounded almost kind now. "I know you're shocked and you don't want to think about it, but I want you to understand this yourself. How did you know that guy was a vampire?"

Serena's answer was immediate. "His eyes."

"Right, and the fear you felt when you were around him?"

"Yes."

Leah nodded. "You have good instincts. Okay, now how did you know how to identify a vampire?"

Serena frowned. "The same way you guys know. I've heard the stories. I know what they are."

Leah nodded again and looked at her expectantly, as if she was waiting for something. Serena looked at Emily, who merely sighed. "I don't think she understands, Leah. Maybe Sam should-"

"Sam's way always scares the crap out of everyone," sighed Leah. "I thought this would be easier."

"What's going on?" Serena looked from one to the other helplessly. "I don't-"

"The Quiletes are descended from shape-shifters," interrupted Emily. She spoke without looking at Serena. "Every time the vampires come, the Quiletes shift into the enemy form of the vampire, to protect their tribe. It usually skips a generation, and our generation is the one," she sighed. "That's why Paul went into the woods and sent you home. The boys knew there was a vampire out there, and they needed to kill it."

Emily finally looked at Serena when she was done speaking. Her hands were gripping the table so hard that her knuckles were turning white. She remembered now. She had always enjoyed Quilete legends, but taking them as ghost stories rather than fact meant that she was fuzzy with the details. Once again, Old Quil's voice was back in her ears, telling tales of gigantic wolves who tore vampires apart with their teeth, wolves who transformed into men once their mission was complete.

"They're- they're-" she couldn't say it. Her small little world was suddenly upside down. Nothing was in its place. Could it be possible? The boys she had spent weeks laughing with, could they burst into fur when there was a vampire around? For some reason, that visual made her giggle. Maybe she was going hysterical. Her symptoms were definitely those of someone suffering from shock. Maybe she could have more of that concoction Sue had given her so that she could sleep and wake up and realize it was just a dream with another sweet text message from Paul waiting for her once she was conscious. It sounded like a good idea. She looked up at Emily and grinned, ignoring the look of confusion on the older woman's face. "Okay, nice one, guys. I'd like to wake up now."

Leah groaned and Emily shook her head slowly. "This isn't a joke, Serena," said Leah. She stood up and grabbed her arm, tugging her to her feet and ignoring Emily's protests. "Come outside, I'll show you."

Serena followed willingly. They stepped out onto the patio and Emily wrapped her arms around Serena's shoulders, holding her close. It didn't make her feel as safe as Paul's embrace had, but it was still comforting. Leah jogged to the centre of the garden, and, to Serena's surprise, tugged off her t-shirt and shorts. She barely had time to register what her friend was doing before a ripping sound echoed through the yard and there, in Leah's place, was a large wolf.

Emily's screech was the last thing Serena heard before she blacked out.

!

When she woke up again, she had decided that she wasn't dreaming and it was stupid to pretend otherwise.

Emily was seated by her bedside, reading a book. Her eyes were full of guilt, but Serena couldn't bring herself to be angry. How do you tell your oldest friend that everyone around you is a werewolf? She had merely shrugged off Emily's apologies and allowed her to mother her a bit, letting her brush her hair after she had showered and smooth out the covers of her bed. One smile was enough to tell her that all was forgiven.

Sam was alone downstairs.

He was cautious, but Serena had immediately closed the distance between them and thrown her arms around him, resisting her tears. She could sense Sam's surprise, but he was quick to hug her back. "I hope you're all okay," she croaked. "The-the thing was really creepy."

"Nothing we can't handle," Sam smiled down at her, and she smiled back, appeased. Wolf or not, Sam would always try to look out for her. He patted her back comfortingly and handed her over to his wife, teasingly flicking at her forehead. "No more fainting now, okay?"

Serena tucked her hair behind her ears and smiled sheepishly, allowing Emily to hug her and set her down at the table. What she really wanted to do was find Paul, but she knew it wasn't safe to go outside alone. Maybe she could call him later, speak to him somehow so he knew that she knew everything. For some reason, she was curious to see what he would look like as a wolf. She had passed out before she could go near Leah, but despite her size she hadn't looked too intimidating. She had always liked animals, growing up with a veterinarian for a mother meant that she had been taught that animals were often more afraid of humans than the other way around.

"If you're okay maybe everyone can come over tonight for dinner," said Emily as she took a carton of milk out of the fridge. Serena raised an eyebrow. "They didn't know how you'd take it," she explained. "They wanted to give you space."

"I'm okay," her voice was still scratchy, but other than a headache she felt fine. Unless they transformed into wolves right in her face, she knew none of them would hurt her. It wasn't in the nature of the Quiletes to harm members of their tribe, or people who were important to them.

But then… As Emily set down a plate of waffles, Serena grabbed her sleeve and tugged at it until she was at her level. Her eyes zeroed in on her scars, the ones from the bear attack. Something had suddenly struck her, and she was curious to know if she was right. Emily noticed the gleam of curiosity, and her eyes closed. She let out a shaky breath and opened her eyes, a small nod answering Serena's silent question. Serena felt tears gather at the corner of her eyes again, but ignored them firmly and took a bite of her breakfast. Paul's hesitation made more sense now.