DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. An evil witch trapped me in this tree centuries ago. I eat bark and drink sap. A woodpecker keeps poking holes in my head. Ouch.

Before we get into this, I'd like to link the site to the Quileute Nation's 'legends' page: quileutenation stories-and-tales /

Smeyer, in all her Mormon glory, completely re-wrote the stories of a real indigenous tribe and warped them for her own profit. I'm not making any money off of this, and really, I shouldn't be, nor am I asking for any.

I'd like to add another disclaimer on top of the previous one. This story is in NO WAY reflective of the people, beliefs, or religion belonging to the Quileute people. I used the same stories that smeyer wrote in Eclipse mostly because they are the only ones that make sense with the plot. I tried to add in a little bit of the actual creation story belonging to the tribe, but it's a very small addition. I encourage all of you to go to their website and read the book of legends they have available for FREE download (a very generous thing in my opinion).

If you have the resources, I implore you to donate to their "move to higher ground" campaign. You can find it at: mthg . org

This is a lot like the original bonfire scene in Eclipse. So, again, I own nothing. All I did was re-write it from Jake's point of view and add in a little fluff between him and Bella.

Little bit of backstory; I actually hated this scene! I thought it was rude and destructive to native culture, painting indigenous men as 'savage,' and 'wild,' and provided no context for the systemic colonialism that took place in Washington. If you have the time, or the energy, I suggest you look up Mormon beliefs about Native Americans (it's not a pretty picture). I'll get off my soap box now.

XXVI

With the amount of missing people steadily growing in number, Billy told Collin's father about the wolves and what they suspected his son was becoming. Old Quil threw such a fit they thought he was having a heart attack and took him to the ER, but after a full work-up, the doctors determined he was just extremely agitated. Collin shifted two days later. We welcomed him into the pack, though he was too young to do much but tag along with Seth on patrol.

Another two days later, Seth's cousin Brady phased unexpectedly. The three young teenagers banded together and were soon inseparable. The pack tended to refer to them with the shorthand, "the boys," though they would have preferred something less juvenile.

To welcome and initiate the new pack members, the council decided to hold a modified version of a potlatch, an ancient Quileute tradition. Usually, it was about status, and the Chief was supposed to give away gifts to show off how much he had, but this time it wouldn't be material possessions. This time, the Elders would be giving the ancient stories to us, some hearing it for the first time, others being reminded.

On the day of the bonfire, I helped make macaroni salad, chopping and dicing most of the vegetables. Bella stood beside me at the counter, making the noodles.

"Hand me the olive oil, would you?" She asked, turning off the stove and bringing the pot over to the sink.

"Here," I said, placing the bottle next to her. After a moment of hesitation, I wound my arms around her from behind and placed my lips on her temple.

"Jake," she complained, pouring the noodles into a strainer. "This water is boiling hot."

"It won't hurt me," I bragged. "And you're good enough at this stuff, I don't think you'll get burned."

Her eye roll was so obvious I could almost hear it. "Flattery will get you nowhere."

I laughed, deep and throaty in her ear, enjoying the way our bodies pressed together. "I'm not trying to go anywhere."

"Good," she commended, turning around to put her arms around my neck. "Because I need you to carry the food."

"Jacob Black, the pack mule, at your service," I joked, leaning in to press my lips to hers.

We gathered on the cliffs, greeted by the constant sound of the waves beating against the rocks. For the first time in a while, things felt normal. Better than normal. Familiar, but not something that happened all the time. Almost like a family reunion.

Bella seemed nervous at first and asked if it was okay that she would be there since she wasn't really part of the tribe. I had rolled my eyes and told her to stop being silly. Of course, she would be welcome, and anyone who had a problem with it could answer to me. I wondered if Old Quil would have the same reaction he'd had when Billy wanted to tell Collin's father about the wolves, but when I towed her out of the forest to the clifftop meeting place — where the fire already roared brighter than the cloud-obscured sun — it was all very casual and light.

"Hey, wolf-girl!" Embry greeted Bella loudly. Quil jumped up to give her a high five and a kiss on the cheek, earning a teasing glare from me. Emily squeezed her hand when we sat on the cool stone ground beside her and Sam.

Billy was there, his wheelchair stationed at the natural head of the circle. Beside him on a folding lawn chair, stoic and brittle, was Quil's ancient, white-haired grandfather, Old Quil. Sue Clearwater had a chair on his other side; Leah and Seth were also there, sitting on the ground like the rest of us.

I didn't have to wonder how horrible it was for Leah to sit across the circle from Sam and Emily, but her face betrayed no emotion, never looking away from the flames. She had not been looking forward to the festivities, knowing she would be the outcast among us. I wanted to give her an out, but Sam insisted we all had to come.

Seth was a lot more cheerful. He greeted us with his huge, happy grin. His long, gangly build reminded me of a younger version of myself. The resemblance made me smile, but Bella sighed. She looked contemplative for a moment after Seth walked back over to Collin and Brady, talking excitedly about something.

My whole extended family was there: Sam and Emily, Paul, Embry, Quil, Brady, Collin, and Jared with Kim.

I hadn't really known her before, but the tribal school was small enough that we had crossed paths enough times to recognize each other in a crowd. My first impression of Kim from before I'd shifted was that she was a nice girl, a little shy, and a little plain. She had a wide face, mostly cheekbones, with eyes too small to balance them out. Her nose and mouth were both too broad for traditional beauty. Her flat black hair was thin and wispy in the unrelenting wind atop the cliff.

That was my first impression. But after months of seeing Kim through Jared's eyes, I could no longer find anything plain about the girl. He stared at her like she was the only one there, like the world was just a passing vision while she was the only real, tangible thing.

I was beginning to see what Emily meant when she'd talked to Bella after Harry's funeral. Sam looked at her the same way like she provided more light than the bonfire. Did I look at Bella like that?

Watching them, I felt like I better understood how this imprinting thing worked. Bella was the only girl I really saw; my eyes were drawn to her like moths to a flame. I couldn't see past what I thought was her obvious and natural beauty; the way her pale skin glowed in the firelight, the faint blush throwing shades of pink across her cheekbones, the curve of her neck as it sloped down gracefully to meet her shoulders, and the long, wavy hair that began in a widow's peak above her heart-shaped face and flowed halfway down her back. Her lips, top one slightly bigger than the bottom, were full and rosy. Her eyes were a rich, dark brown, sitting over her nose in perfect balance.

Even though she still harbored feelings for Edward, it seemed inevitable how I had fallen head-over-heels in love with her. Maybe she would never be able to fully reciprocate the feeling, but I was perfectly willing to dote on her until she forgot the bloodsucker's name.

"Are you gonna eat that hot dog?" Paul asked me, his eyes locked on the last remnant of the huge meal we had just eaten.

I leaned back against Bella's knees and toyed with the hot dog I had spitted on a straightened wire hanger; the flames at the edge of the bonfire licked along its blistered skin. I heaved a sigh and patted my stomach. It was somehow still flat, though I'd lost count of how many hot dogs I'd eaten after the tenth. Not to mention the super-sized bag of chips or the two-liter bottle of root beer.

"I guess," I drawled slowly. "I'm so full I'm about to puke, but I think I can force it down. I won't enjoy it at all, though." I sighed again in mock sadness.

Despite my joking tone and the fact that Paul had eaten at least as much as I had, he glowered at me with his hands balled up in fists.

"Sheesh," I laughed. "Kidding, Paul. Here."

I flipped the homemade skewer across the circle. Bella jumped a little, probably expecting it to land hot-dog-first in the sand, but Paul caught it neatly on the right end without difficulty. She was going to have to get used to hanging out with extremely dexterous people. I smirked, thinking of how else to remind her about my super-human aim.

"Thanks, man," Paul said, already over his brief fit of temper.

The fire crackled, settling lower in the sand. Sparks blew up in a sudden puff of brilliant orange against the black sky. There was a thin coating of clouds settled above the tree-tops, but there was still a full view of stars, glinting at us like fireflies. Bella giggled behind me, amused by Paul's antics.

Kim was nodding off against Jared's chest, his arms around her. I leaned back between Bella's knees, resting my arms on her legs like a comfy chair, and smiled wider when she reached forward to play with my hair.

"It's getting late," she murmured into the fire. I glanced up to see her eyelids starting to droop lower, and a yawn rips its way from her mouth.

"Don't start that yet," I whispered back, though most of the group could hear us anyway. "The best part is coming."

"What's the best part? You swallowing an entire cow whole?"

I chuckled a low, throaty laugh. "No. That's the finale. We didn't meet just to eat through a week's worth of food. This is technically a council meeting. It's Quil, Brady, and Collin's first time, and they haven't heard the stories yet. Well, they've heard them, but this will be the first time they know it's true. That tends to make you pay closer attention. Kim and Seth and Leah are all first-timers, too."

"Stories?"

I scooted back to sit beside Bella, where she rested against a low ridge of rock. I put my arm over her shoulder and spoke even lower into her ear, pushing aside her curtain of hair.

"The histories we always thought were legends," I murmured, reveling in the closeness of her skin. I leaned down and pressed a kiss behind her ear. "The stories of how we came to be. The first is the story of the spirit warriors."

It was almost as if my soft whisper was the introduction. The atmosphere changed abruptly around the low-burning fire. Paul and Embry sat up straighter. Jared nudged Kim and then pulled her gently upright. Emily produced a spiral-bound notebook and a pen, intent on recording the histories, lest they be forgotten. Sam twisted just slightly beside her so that he was facing the same direction as Old Quil, who was on his other side — the four council members assembled.

Leah Clearwater, her face an emotionless mask, closed her eyes — not like she was tired, but as if to help her concentration. Her brother leaned in toward the elders eagerly.

The fire crackled, sending another explosion of sparks spattering up against the night sky.

Billy cleared his throat, and, with no more prelude than my whisper, began telling the story in his rich, deep voice. The words poured out with precision, feeling, and subtle rhythm. His tone was familiar from the millions of times he told me the legends growing up – the bedtime stories that lulled me to sleep, painting dreams of wolves and Chiefs who looked like my father.

"The Quileutes have been a small people from the beginning," Billy began. "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 spirit warriors."

The familiar ring of majesty in my father's voice was nothing new, but I noticed for the first time the authority it held. When he had told me the stories as a kid, I hadn't realized how much magic flowed through him, but now it was impossible to ignore. Emily's pen sprinted across the sheets of paper as she tried to keep up with him.

"In the beginning, Q'wati, the Creator, made the first members of the tribe by turning two wolves on the riverside into men. The tribe settled in this harbor and became skilled shipbuilders and fishermen. But the tribe was small, and the harbor was rich in fish. There were others who coveted our 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 a great screaming in the wind that terrified their foes. The stories also 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 came against us, the spirit warriors would drive them off.

"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."

A low hiss ran around the fire. I didn't really care enough to see where it came from. Billy ignored it and went on.

"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 the Makahs and build an empire.

"Now, when the warriors were 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 down through the forests and along the coast, making sure no threat approached.

"One day when Taha Aki left to perform this duty, Utlapa followed. At first, Utlapa simply planned to kill the chief, but this 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 the chief had traveled some distance with his spirit self.

"Taha Aki knew it 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 with 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'd 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 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 had 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 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 that he was in agony. He felt he was doomed — never to cross over to the final land where his ancestors waited, stuck in this torturous 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 the great wolf to make room for him, to share. The wolf complied. Taka Aki entered the wolf's body with relief and gratitude. It was not his human body, but it was better than the 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 the 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 to the spirit world, Taha Aki left the wolf — the animal waited tamely for his return — to speak to 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 say even 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 to Taha Aki for all eternity. He felt a great rage, more powerful than anything he'd 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 the 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.

"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 the 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."

"So that's why Sam is all black," Quil muttered under his breath, the edges of his lips fighting against a smile. "Black heart, black fur."

I stifled a laugh. Leah's mouth twitched on the other side of the circle.

"And your chocolate fur reflects what?" Sam whispered back to Quil. "How sweet you are?"

Billy ignored them, looking pointedly at the sparks from the fire dancing towards the stars, making shapes in a language I didn't understand. "Some of the sons became warriors with 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, his true spirit wife. Though he had loved the others, this 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. . . ."

He looked at Old Quil Ateara, who shifted in his chair, straightening his frail shoulders. Billy took a drink from a bottle of water and wiped his forehead. Emily's pen never hesitated as she scribbled furiously on the paper.

"That was the story of the spirit warriors," Old Quil began in his thin tenor voice. "This is the story of the third wife's sacrifice.

"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 in their 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 wolf-son, Taha Wi, with finding the true culprit before hostilities began.

"Taha Wi led the five other wolves in his pack on a search through the mountains, looking for any evidence of the missing Makahs. They came across something they had never encountered before — a strange, sweet scent in the forest that burned their noses to the point of pain."

Bella shrank into my side. I grinned, and my arm tightened around her.

"They did not know what creature would leave such a scent, but they followed it," Old Quil continued. His quavering voice did not have the same ring as Billy's, but it had a fiery edge of urgency, contrasting against his withering body. I heard Bella's pulse jump as the words rushed out of his mouth.

"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 found only 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 everything that had happened. The Makah chief believed his grief, and 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 Taka Aki's third wife, and the youngest in the pack. He brought something with him that had never been seen in all the 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 came 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 a 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 learned quickly, and soon 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 the creature, but the hands 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 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."

Old Quil paused and looked at Billy. Billy pulled out a leather band from around his neck. Hanging from the end was a small bag, blackened with age. A few people gasped. Bella, to my delight, was one of them. I grabbed the black-haired leeches ashes dangling from my neck – all five of us who had killed him wore it to these meetings – and showed it to her proudly. I didn't have enough time to enjoy her surprised reaction before Old Quil went on with the story.

"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 the dawn when she entered the village that morning; the sun was shining for once, and it glittered off 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 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 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, his sons, 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 the 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 broke 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 been. 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 toward 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 death blow 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 the 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 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 was 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.

"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, though their presence does tend to draw in others."

Old Quil paused, and for one moment his black eyes - all but buried in the wrinkles of skin folded around them - rested on Bella.

"And their numbers have forced a larger pack than the tribe has ever seen," he continued. "Except, of course, in Taha Aki's time." The old man sighed, his gaze returning to the fire. "And so the sons of our tribe again carry the burden and share the sacrifice their fathers endured before them."

All was silent for a long moment. We, the living descendants of magic and legend, stared at one another across the fire, afraid to break the spell. All but one.

"Burden," he scoffed in a low voice. "I think it's cool." Quil's full lower lip pouted out a little bit.

Across the dying fire, Seth Clearwater – eyes wide with excessive admiration for our brotherhood of tribal protectors – bobbed his head up and down in agreement.

Billy chuckled, low and long, and the magic faded into the glowing embers. Suddenly, it was just a circle of friends again. Jared flicked a small stone at Quil, and everyone laughed when it made him jump. Low conversations murmured around us, teasing and casual.

Leah Clearwater's eyes did not open. I thought I saw something sparkling on her cheek like a tear, but when I looked back a moment later it was gone.

Neither Bella nor I spoke. She was so still beside me, her breath so deep and even, that I thought she might be asleep.

My mind was a thousand years away, but I was not thinking about the wolves or even the Cold Ones. I was thinking about the third wife.

Did Taha Aki understand her sacrifice? Could he have prevented it, if he knew her plans? Or was it inevitable that she would die to save him? Was his spirit angry that we had forgotten her name? I glanced down at Bella, whose eyes were shut like Leah's. Had the legend given her more ideas about surrendering to Victoria in an attempt to shield the wolves?

In the back of my mind, Old Quil's words kept echoing in my ears. And their numbers have forced a larger pack than the tribe has ever seen.

Why had so many of us phased, when the Cullens left almost a year ago? Why had the youngest in the tribe had their wolf-gene triggered? As far as I knew, it only happened when there was some strong emotion involved. The only time it happened before Seth was after the third wife's sacrifice invoked the change in her sons. It didn't make sense. Why would they need to shift, when so many of us already had? Did it really work like that? Or was this fate – something we couldn't have avoided, even if we knew how?

I refused to believe that. Fate had nothing to do with it. Sure, things could be unavoidable – I loved Bella that way. But this was some sinister, outside force, lurking like a black fog in my peripheral vision. I felt it coming, somewhere deep in my bones, the earth starting to shift beneath us.

Something big was coming – of that I was sure.