Beta: Jusobele

CH.34 Karma

Charlie's Pov

I stood outside with everyone, as I learned exactly what had happened. Quil Sr. has struck my daughter. He hit my pregnant daughter in the face, likely causing her to fall and hit her head.

I automatically reached to my side for my service revolver, only feeling air. Sam noticed my movement and looked at me in understanding.

"Charlie, I assure you, we will take care of this," he told me.

"Did you feel that?" Jake asked the boys.

"Yes," Sam said.

"Feel what? What's going on?" I asked, looking at the boys who suddenly had panicked looks on their faces.

"When we phase it causes a shimmer. We can feel it in the air around us. We each just felt a shimmer, but not a full phase," Sam said. Before he could say anything more, I saw several of the boys whip their heads towards the hospital entrance.

"Oh fuck," a few gasped.

I turned to see my son in law stalking towards us. His face was full of rage. His body was tense, his eyes yellow. He looked every bit the animal I knew he could turn into. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Looking at him, I knew I would never get the chance to use my revolver.

"WHO?" Quil roared before he ever reached us.

"Quil, let's talk about this and then we can figure out how to deal with it," Sam said calmly. "Quil…" he started.

Quil looked at Sam as if he was going to rip his throat out, and started walking to the trees. He turned towards me as he walked into the woods. "Charlie, tell Bella I will be right back." I could only nod in response.

"Quil, where are you going?" Jake asked him.

"To scent the mother fucker who touched my wife," Quil answered. His face and voice let everyone know that when he found the person responsible, they would not live to see another day.

"I'll stay with Charlie. Go!" Billy told Sam.

I watched as the pack ran for the woods. Kate and Thomas left for their cars with Harry and Sue.

"He's going to kill him," I said looking at Billy. I knew I wasn't really asking. I was looking for confirmation.

"Yes," Billy confirmed. "Come on; let's go inside get some coffee and talk."

We made it to the cafeteria and sat down with some coffee. "Charlie, I know you're the Chief of Police. Are you going to be able to deal with what happens?" Billy asked, eyeing me.

"First he tore my daughter's heart apart keeping her and Quil away from each other, and then he tried to take her child. I just learned he struck my pregnant daughter hard enough to leave a bruise and caused her to fall, hitting her head and requiring a blood transfusion, endangering both my daughter and my grandson's life. If Quil doesn't take care of him I will," I told Billy, meaning every word.

"Okay, I just needed you to know that under tribal law Quil is within his right to seek punishment by death," Billy told me.

Sam's Pov

I felt the shimmer, but knew it was not a full phase. The legend of Akoi flashed in my head as Quil came stalking out of the hospital doors. There was no doubt he walked with his wolf on the surface.

His face was full of rage, his body was tense, ready to strike and his eyes were yellow. He looked feral. I knew we would not be able to stop him from killing Old Quil. I didn't think anyone would try. Bella was a part of our pack, pregnant with a pup.

We were a pack out for blood.

We phased; each of our thoughts silent. The wolf in Quil needed to find his mate's attacker and as a pack, we would not interfere with that. We followed Quil as he made his way to his and Bella's home, phasing human and walking up to the house. We each phased back and waited for him in his yard. I looked around at the pack, and the determination on everyone's face was something fierce to behold.

We knew the moment the scent became recognizable. Human Quil let loose a howl that would rival the howl of his wolf form.

"It's on," Paul said. Everyone nodded in agreement.

Thomas, Kate, Sue and Harry pulled up as Quil was coming down the steps.

"Sam?" Thomas asked.

"It's Quil's move. His imprint," I told him.

Quil was standing in front of us, his anger coming off him in waves. His eyes were yellow and dilated. It was freaky as hell to look at.

Thomas stepped to his son, putting one hand on his shoulder. "As your father, as a council member and Elder of this tribe, I will not question the punishment Quil Ateara Sr. is to receive," he told Quil. Quil nodded wordlessly and began walking to his grandfather's house.

The rest of us followed. I was not sure how this would play out. I had no doubt Quil Sr. would lose his life, but that was the only thing I was sure of.

When we reached the front of Old Quil's house, each wolf gave out a howl as we walked together in battle formation to the door. It was instinctual.

The council took position in the yard around a patio table, not wanting to interfere but needing to show unity.

"Do you smell that?" I asked Quil.

"Yes," he said, his voice resolved and full of conviction.

"It smells of wolf, but no one has been here recently enough to leave a scent," I said to my brothers.

Quil opened the door and walked inside, the rest of us following. Old Quil was sitting in his chair, books and papers strewn about. His heart was barely beating, and he smelled of death.

"Do not bother killing me, I am to die shortly. Great Spirit Wolf has visited me," Old Quil said, looking at his grandson.

"You think you deserve my mercy?" Quil asked him, his voice sounding like razors.

"No, I do not," Old Quil spouted.

"My wife, my child almost died. You will get no mercy," Quil told him, his form blurring. I could taste his fury in the air.

I could see Quil was finished talking and his body was blurring to the point I did not understand how he had not phased. Just as it looked like he would complete the phase, we heard a howl from the back yard.

We each snapped our focus in the direction of the howl, and dropped to our knees seeing the Great Spirit Wolf standing there. We watched as his form glided until he was standing in front of us. He looked into Quil's eyes and a silent conversation was passed between the two.

"Thank you," Quil told him.

With that, the Great Spirit Wolf glided back from where he came from and disappeared into the forest.

We turned our attention to Quil, wanting to know what had just taken place.

"The ancestors have delivered his punishment… death." Quil spoke while looking at his grandfather who indeed no longer breathed. "We are to take the books and papers. Great Spirit Wolf said we will learn the truth."

We gathered all the books and papers we could find, and exited the house to inform the council what had happened.

"Great Spirit delivered the punishment of death," I told them.

"Did you see him?" Harry asked amazed.

"Yes," I confirmed, and then explained the message to read the books.

"I need to get back to Bella," Quil stated.

"Son, we will be there shortly to check on her," Kate told Quil giving him a hug, followed by Thomas.

We watched as Quil made his way back into the trees phasing.

"How did he die?" Harry asked.

"We don't know," I told him and relayed everything that had been said.

"I will start making the appropriate calls," Kate told Thomas and walked the short distance to their home.

"Thomas are you ok?" Harry asked.

"I'm torn. On one hand my own father is dead, but I wanted to kill him myself. My god he could have killed my son's wife and my grandson. I just don't understand how he could hate that much," Thomas said.

"Perhaps that is why our ancestors stepped in," Harry mused.

"Let's get through these books and see if we can find what we're supposed to be looking for," I told everyone and started in the direction of my house.

We had all convened in my house, filling every available seat. Each of us had a drink. We started poring through the books and papers we found at Old Quil's.

"I think I've found something," Sue said, passing a paper to Harry.

Harry read over the words, put the paper down, and looked at us.

"I believe I know why Old Quil hated Bella," he told us and started to explain. "This paper is a history of the Ateara family. It states that Kahaila Ateara was betrothed to Shalihia Meraz. At birth the two families arranged their marriage."

"I've never heard that family name?" Paul said.

"No, you wouldn't have, but Shalihia was your great-great-grandmother's sister, your great-great- aunt according to this," Harry said.

"So what does that have to do with Bella? And why has Paul never heard that family name?" I asked.

"Do you remember the night we told Charlie the truth about the pack, and we learned of his great-great-grandfather Jeremiah Swanson?" Harry asked.

"Yes," I told him.

"Our books tell us that after his death his wife left the reservation, but there was never any other mention of her. This paper… says that Shalihia gave birth to a child roughly 7 months after Jeremiah's death, a child of mixed heritage. The pregnancy and birth confirmed that Shalihia had had an affair with Jeremiah, and the arranged marriage between the Ateara and Meraz families was severed. Shalihia bringing shame to her family was banished and sent away" Harry told us.

"Holy Shit!" Paul said. "So that means… "

"That you and Bella are related. Your great -great- aunt bore a child from Charlie's great-great-grandfather. There is no mention of Shalihia after her banishment. It's a good assumption she used the sir name Swanson, which later became Swan," Harry said. "You and Bella are cousins very distantly, but related none the less," he told Paul.

I watched Paul as everything sunk in, his face showing more emotion that I was used to seeing from him.

Quil's Pov

I was sitting next to my Bella, holding her hand. My mind was reflecting on everything that had taken place that day. My own grandfather had nearly killed my wife and child.

In one way, I was thankful the ancestors punished him leaving me free from the burden, but another part of me wished I could have handed him his death sentence.

I was brought out of my thoughts when Bella whispered my name. "Quil..."

"Oh thank god baby," I told her climbing next to her so I could hold her. "I was so scared baby." The tears I had been holding back started falling.

"I feel strange, tired but not achy. Shouldn't I feel worse?" she asked, looking confused.

"Probably, you had to have a blood transfusion. Paul has the same blood type. You were given his blood. It looks like it's healing you as quickly as our blood heals us," I told her.

"Oh," she said before asking quietly, "Quil, do you know who did this?"

"Yes, I do. The ancestors have punished him," I told her.

I watched as her eyes grew big. "Is he… is he," she started to ask.

"Yes, baby, he is. The Great Spirit was there when we arrived," I told her.

"Are you ok?" she asked me.

Bella never ceased to amaze me. After everything that happened she wanted to know if I was ok.

"My wife and my son are safe, I couldn't ask for anything more," I told her kissing her sweet lips. "I love you so much Bella."

"I love you too," she said, rising to kiss me again.

"Quil, can you help me up, I need to use the restroom?" she asked.

She had just risen to a sitting position when she reached her hands down to her stomach and looked at me wide eyed.

"Baby what's wrong?" I asked.

"My water just broke," she told me.