The Snow-Wolf

by faithy waithy

We know the story of Jacob Black. But what about his twin sister, Hannah Black. The year she turns 16, her life changes forever. Best friends start abandoning her and the life she knew comes to an end. With unexplained betrayals and temperamental Quileute boys, she comes to learn she is smack dab in the middle of a world of werewolves and vampires. (Suck at summaries) COMPLETE!

7. The Council Meeting

Chapter 6: The Council Meeting

(Hannah POV)

I sat curled up on the couch, my body leaning against Seth as I tried to soak in what comfort I could find. I was still at Sam and Emily's house. Seth told me I couldn't leave until this evening when my brother came over to take me home. I had to have a chaperone every minute of the day it seemed.

After passing out against Seth's warm fur from exhaustion early that morning, I had woken up around 2pm. Seth was on the couch in human form, and he had my feet resting on his lap under the blanket as he flipped through the TV. He was glad to see me awake when he felt me move, and his smile made me blush. He asked me how I was feeling, and I answered him with honesty that I was tired and my head hurt. I couldn't lie to him.

Emily had Seth try and make me eat some more soup once she heard Seth speak to me. She said it would hopefully help my head too. They were worried to give me solid food too quickly after what happened the other morning, and I was glad they realized their mistake when they tried to feed me the pancakes. I ate the soup, but only because I didn't want Seth to worry. Sam had run off somewhere in the time I was asleep which gave me relief: He was too intimidating. My dad wasn't there either. I could only assume I had probably hurt my father, and I was not sorry about it. He had hurt me plenty, so it was time for him to understand my pain.

As Seth and I stayed together most of the day, except of course when we both needed our human moments, I asked Seth with my soft voice questions about him.

"Why do you look older than me now?"

"It's a wolf thing. Our bodies have to be a certain height and we also have a strange testosterone boost. I don't really understand it. Leah only got taller and stronger a little, so it seems to just be the male thing."

"When did you phase?"

He thought for a moment. "It was about three weeks after my dad's funeral. I got mad at Leah for telling me to stop being a crybaby. She had already phased the week before and was temperamental, so I guess she just needed someone to insult. The day I phased I had told her to go cry over her loss for Sam and we got into an argument. I knew my words were really harsh… I regretted saying them. When I changed into a wolf in front of her, that ended our argument. She became my guide immediately and calmed me from my shock... I would've been a mess without her… we became the closest we've ever been after that."

I frowned from his words. Would I ever find it in my heart to forgive Jacob or my dad?

I continued my questions. "Can you really hear the thoughts of the pack?"

"Yeah. That's the worst part. It's like there's no privacy. Everyone is in your head. I feel bad for Leah though. She is the only female of the pack, so she gets the worst of it. Thankfully, Sam lets her patrol alone a lot. He feels bad for ditching her for Emily."

"And he did that because of the imprint thing?"

Seth nodded.

"And you imprinted on me?"

He smiled. "Yeah… I don't expect you to feel like you have to be with me, but all you need to know is that from the moment I saw you the other day it became my fate to protect you and love you for eternity. I will never betray or hurt you like the others. You're safe with me."

I felt my heart begin to repair. After months of having no one and being alone, I now had Seth.

"You… you mean that...?"

He turned so he could face me. His hand caressed my cheek and I shut my eyes enjoying his warmth. "I promise. You won't be abandoned again, Hannah."

Seth and I stayed together the rest of the afternoon. I asked him questions about his mom, his sister, and his classes. I was trying all I could to distract myself from what I knew would come. I wasn't ready to face the other werewolves. All I wanted was to be alone with Seth. It was the happiest I had been in a long time.

Seth told me his mom was enjoying being on the council. She enjoyed having something to keep her busy, but also liked knowing what him and Leah were up to. Seth also told me that he was pretty sure his mom had a small crush on Bella's dad. She was still grieving over the loss of her husband, but she found comfort in the Forks Chief of Police. I asked him if Bella and her dad came around them a lot, and he let me know they were around in much more frequency since vampires were after Bella. Charlie of course was in the dark as much as I had been a few days ago.

I then asked Seth about school. He told me he was a total freak now due to his insane growth spurt. He told me he couldn't wait to go upstairs to the high school wing. He looked like he should be a Junior and not in the eighth grade with the shorties downstairs. I joked with him that at least he wouldn't be prey to seniors when he became a freshman. He laughed, and his laugh was comforting.

"So… will you keep aging?"

He had sighed. "Only when I give up phasing. So… if you decide in the future you do want to be with me and grow old together I'll let go of the wolf and time will continue."

I blushed at the thought of Seth and I being together forever. I had small crushes on guys throughout my school life. But the affection I felt for Seth was something different. Not an attraction, although he was definitely cute. It was more so a sense of love and comfort.

I then asked softly, "What about your friends? You're the only werewolf your age right? Did you have to ditch them?"

Seth was surprised by my question. He then frowned. "No… but that's because my cousin Brady and your cousin Collin are pretty much about to phase. We've all seen their changes… it will be any day now. Sam wants me to keep them calm at school so when they do phase it isn't around students."

I was surprised. I didn't talk to my cousin Collin much. He was my aunt Connie's son on my dad's side. I only saw them at family gatherings for the holidays even though they lived just on the other side of the reserve. I couldn't believe my cousin was going to phase too. And I couldn't believe Sam let Seth stay with his friends even though he was a werewolf and they were human. Why was I the one who had been forced to suffer? It wasn't fair...

I frowned. "They're lucky they didn't lose you… abandonment isn't something I'd wish on anyone."

Seth's fist tightened. He hugged me suddenly and pressed his face against my hair. He whispered, "If I knew everything that had happened to you I would've been there for you. I should've realized at my dad's funeral you were in so much pain."

I shook my head. "We barely knew each other… it wasn't your fault…"

And I knew that was the definite truth. Seth was innocent. Leah was too. It was everyone else that had betrayed me and left me to rot.

Emily had left to give us some privacy right after I had woken, but came back around 4pm with some clothes. "Hannah… Why don't you let me help you wash up? A shower and some fresh clothes will help you feel better."

The thought of leaving Seth unsettled me, but I wasn't too afraid of Emily. She was like me in a way. Just drawn into a world none of us could understand. A human surrounded by supernatural beings.

Seth tried to encourage me. "I actually need to run home for a minute and talk to my mom. We decided it was a good idea for me to stay with you tonight so I'll need some fresh clothes."

I finally asked the question I'd been dying to know. "Why do I have to stay here? Can I go with you?"

Seth grimaced. "Sorry, Hannah… I would steal you away in a heartbeat, but Sam ordered that you stay here. He doesn't want you running off again. Since he's the alpha…"

I sighed, knowing where he was going with his sentence. No matter how much Seth desired to protect me, the alpha command still overpowered the imprint in some ways.

"Okay… just... come back," I whispered.

He hugged me to reassure me. "I promised you. Remember?"

I nodded slowly. "Yeah… just… promises are easily broken…"

He hugged me tighter. "Then I swear on my life. How's about that?"

I smiled weakly. "That does sound a little better."

About an hour later, I had managed to wash up in Emily and Sam's shower. I was strong enough to do it on my own thankfully. I was embarrassed already that Emily had helped me bathe a few days ago, so I really didn't want the help again. Once I was showered and dressed in some of my actual clothes from my own room (a loose blue tee with Washington State University that Rachel had sent me, and some black sweatpants), and brushed my teeth with a new toothbrush Emily left out for me, I walked out into the hall where Emily waited. She helped put a new bandage on my scratched hand which had opened again and was bleeding, and then helped me blow dry my hair in her and Sam's room. Once my hair was dry she brushed through the days of tangles.

After she was done, I felt like a human again. I found a bit of kindness in my broken soul and thanked her for her help. She kissed me on the cheek and told me she hoped I would open my heart to her and accept her as a friend like I had with Seth. I let her know I would try.

We made our way back downstairs then, and I was relieved to find Seth was back on the couch watching TV. His legs were reclined on the coffee table. He had showered himself and changed his clothes. He wore cut off jeans like usual, and his shirt was dark gray. When I got back downstairs, he looked over with relief.

"Hey. You look like you're feeling a little better," he said. He patted the spot beside him, and I quickly left Emily returning to him.

Emily giggled at my quick response. "Seth. I think you have a new shadow."

He smiled as he put the blanket on my lap and put an arm back around my shoulders. I molded into him again immediately feeling safe. He had kept his promise. He had returned. I was relieved I had put my trust in the right werewolf.

"I'm going to start dinner. The pack will be here at six. I'm sure food will help keep everyone calm." Emily left the room as she spoke.

I looked at Seth with confusion. He sighed. "It might be a lot of stress for you, but the others want to talk to you. There's some things we need to discuss as a group."

My heart started to pound quickly.

Seth noticed I became tense and nervous. He rubbed my shoulder to comfort me. "It's okay. I'll protect you."

It was just as Emily said. Six rolled around and I heard the door open. Seth had helped Emily move the coffee table again and put some chairs around the room. While they did, I stayed quiet thinking about the evening to come. I was about to be surrounded by the whole pack. I was sick originally when I faced Jacob, Quil, and Embry. Being more coherent and understanding what I had seen, I was suddenly scared of what I would say to them. I hadn't spoken much to them since they had betrayed me. I had lost my trust in them all.

And then Paul and Jared… I never liked them to begin with. They never seemed to like me either.

I knew Leah was coming too, but her presence wouldn't be as bad. At least like Seth, Leah hadn't been part of the darkness of my life in the last two months. Leah also knew what it was like to be abandoned by the one she loved.

I was told that Sue, my dad, and Old Quil would be coming too. My dad had been driven to Sue's house by Sam originally. I guess he was trying to speak to another parent to get advice on comforting a child he had hurt. Sue was driving him and Old Quil over to us.

Sam was the first to enter at six. He came in and immediately looked over at me. My body shrunk away again. Seth noticed from where he was putting food on the coffee table in the corner of the room. He said something to Emily, and she nodded eagerly. Then he immediately returned to the couch beside me knowing he was needed. As soon as his warmth returned, the shivers in my spine calmed. I quickly moved against him again. He was the only thing that would keep me from running at this point.

Sam watched the interaction with disbelief. He then asked Emily, "She really hasn't left his side?"

Emily looked over at us. "Nope. Just to shower. It's kind of cute though." She smiled at me kindly.

I dropped my gaze from her, embarrassed by my clinging to Seth. It was pitiful, I'm sure, but Seth was a light after a long dark tunnel. I didn't want to lose my warm light. Things with Seth just made more sense.

A car pulled up the drive a few minutes later. I heard the sound of my dad's chair as someone helped him up the porch, and then the door opened. Sue was the first in the door, and she held it open for my dad who wheeled his way in. Old Quil came in behind. Sue looked just as she had the last time she helped dad take me to the hospital. She had Seth's eyes and his thick black hair, although hers wasn't short like his and fell mid-back. She was pretty, and had a maternal face to her I had come to miss since my mom's death.

Old Quil was as I remembered him too from my days at Quil's house. Old and elderly, but strong. He kept a stone expression as he nodded his greeting to Emily who had walked over to give Sue a hug. Emily took his hand in greeting… The four humans in the room… Soon werewolves would outnumber them.

Attention went to me as the council members came further in the room. Sue came towards Seth and I. Thankfully, I wasn't afraid of her. She was Seth's mom. She had always been nice to me.

"Hey, Hannah…" she spoke carefully, probably worried I would be scared. Honestly, I felt okay right now. I was sure that would change when the others arrived. "Seth told me you are feeling better today. I'm so glad to hear. We've all been so worried about you." She came over and took my hands in a comforting hold. "Your father called me when you ran away. You had him so scared something had happened to you. It's a good thing you weren't hurt. We would've all been heartbroken if we lost you."

I nodded slowly, but I didn't respond. Seth sighed. He had probably been scared I would clam up. His fears were happening. My voice was gone. I didn't want to talk. I didn't want to make anyone mad.

Sue noticed I had gone tense. She looked saddened by my withdrawal and released me. "You really are as bad as they said," she whispered.

She stepped away back over to the others. She whispered something to my father. He looked over at me briefly, and then nodded to Sue. He wheeled over to me and I quickly looked away. The last time I had spoken to him earlier today was to tell him how hurt I was towards his abandonment. I wasn't sure what he was about to say.

"I'm sorry I left earlier. I needed to get some things taken care of." He suddenly pulled something out of the paper bag I hadn't noticed was at his side. He handed over a familiar dark gray fleece blanket to me. I looked at it with uncertainty. "Your mom isn't here… but she at least made this before she died. When I wrap up in it I feel her presence… hopefully it will be a comfort to you right now."

I took it from him slowly. Once I settled the warm folded blanket on my lap, my dad grabbed my hand gently. I froze from his touch. Last time he grabbed me was to scold me. He noticed my fear. This made him dismayed. He spoke gently to me, trying to show he was not mad.

"Hannah…" He squeezed my hand. "I want you to know how sorry I am for what I did to you. I suppose after your mom died I never really thought much about needing to comfort you. You had Jacob and the boys to hold you together. I should've realized that after they were forced to stay away from you, I would've needed to fill that void. I question now if that's why your sisters were so quick to leave when they graduated… you girls needed more comfort than I knew how to give. I'm sorry for ever making you feel for a second I didn't love you or care that you were hurting. Seeing what you've become now has torn me to pieces."

I dropped my gaze on the blanket as my eyes burned with tears.

"I hope you can come to understand again that I am your father, and that I love you more than you know. But I know that I will have to prove that to you again over time."

He took my other hand in his. I didn't pull away. But I also didn't speak. He tightened his hold and brushed his thumbs on my palms.

"I fear we probably will never get back the old Hannah we remember, but know that we will do everything we can to help you from here on out. We only want you to be happy."

I nodded slowly. He was right. The old Hannah was gone. She died on the beach back in March.

Old Quil stepped over then. His elderly eyes were full of wisdom as he said, "We're glad to see Seth is taking good care of you." He placed a kind wrinkled hand on my shoulder to offer me his own comfort. "Welcome to the pack, Hannah."

My dad let go of my hands then, and he and the council left the room to go in the kitchen to whisper about me. Sam and Seth were the only ones left in the room. Sam spoke to Seth knowing I wouldn't respond to him. "Why don't you grab her some food while it still exists? She needs to eat more than anyone else."

Seth nodded. Sam left us to go into the kitchen then. Once he was gone, Seth took the blanket my mom made and draped it around my shoulders to try and replace the warmth of his own body. "I'll be right back," he promised. "Anything you're craving? Or you just want me to grab whatever?"

I looked over at the table. A lot of it was solid food. I suddenly felt nauseous. "Just crackers… I'm scared to eat anything else."

He wasn't thrilled by my answer. He wanted me to eat more than just crackers. He nodded though, not wanting to make me upset. "Okay. I'll grab some food for myself too. Hang tight."

Once he was gone, I pulled my knees to my chest feeling the nerves return. I gripped my mom's blanket tightly as I kept Seth in my sight. I watched as he started to grab a mix of food putting it on two different plates. Sam appeared as he did with a bowl of soup that was just heated. I assumed Seth had said something I couldn't hear to him when his back was turned to me. Once Seth had a giant plate for himself, and managed to balance my soup and crackers on the other hand with ease, he came back to me.

As I ate, he wolfed down his food. I couldn't help but watch in amazement. I assumed the hunger and ability to consume so much food had to do with being a werewolf. I asked him if that were the case.

He laughed. "Trust me… it's a good thing you got the crackers before the others arrived."

I was only halfway through my soup when the door opened again. Voices sounded from outside. It was 6:30. I knew from everyone already in Sam's house that the ones outside were the pack. Jacob was the first to rush inside. His hair was wet, which made me suddenly aware of the patter of rain on the porch roof and windows I had not heard before. He shook his head to get the water off, and then stepped in. Behind him came a line of guys. First Quil, then Embry, followed by Paul, Jared, and the only female of the pack Leah. The guys were all shirtless, so I assumed they had probably come from being wolves.

Leah came in looking straight at Seth with curiosity. He smirked and put an arm around my shoulders. She rolled her eyes but smiled. She was happy for her brother. I envied her and Seth's relationship. If I had phased into a werewolf, maybe things would've been different. But Sam already told me he didn't think I ever would. Which honestly, I preferred not to. Last thing I wanted was sprouting fur and having everyone in my head.

"Glad you saved us some food, Seth," Jacob commented. My gaze went from Leah, and I looked over at my brother. His eyes met my own. I panicked and I looked down at my soup.

Seth noticed my angst. He tried to keep the mood casual to make me feel relaxed. "Weren't you all supposed to be here like thirty minutes ago?"

Jacob had noticed my aversion to his gaze. I heard him sigh. But he answered Seth saying, "Sam told us to wait a few minutes. Plus, we wanted to do a quick run to make sure there was no danger. And we also didn't want Hannah completely overwhelmed with so many people showing up at once."

My hands shook a bit as I gripped my soup bowl. My heart started to pound hard again. They had run to go check for threats. How many vampires had my brother come across in the last few months?

Jacob approached suddenly and I pressed harder into Seth. I wanted to not be afraid of my brother, but the last few days came racing back. The bruise on my arm was better, but it still hurt if I pressed against it too hard. His growl at the hospital also replayed in my mind. I should've realized then and there he wasn't completely human… but I also never imagined anything but a human could actually exist until I saw Seth and Jacob in the yard the other day as wolves.

"Hey, Sis. Glad you woke up finally… I was starting to lose some hair worrying about you," Jacob said trying to joke around to ease the tension. He crouched so he could become level with me.

I tried to meet his gaze. His brown eyes were filled with agony as he took in my fear of him. "You… did you just come from being a wolf?"

He grimaced. He tried to keep a reassuring tone. "Yeah… we just wanted to make sure the area was clear before we all came here. There's nothing to worry about. You're safe."

I nodded. I stared at my half eaten soup no longer hungry as the thought of monsters made me queasy. Jacob noticed my sudden discomfort and nauseous expression. He took the bowl from me, and said, "Do you want me to see if Emily has some ginger tea…? I know you like that when your stomachs upset."

His concern was so confusing. So they were going to be nice to me now that I knew about them? Or were they just scared Seth would hurt them if they were mean? I decided I was too tired to really fight with Jacob tonight. I just nodded.

He smiled, relieved I was giving him some small response. He left the room to go into the kitchen where the council members were. Once he was gone, my eyes darted to the others again. I was horrified when I saw every single one of them was looking my way. As I stared at them, an image flashed in my head of a group of wolves surrounding me. My breathing hitched.

Seth suddenly hugged me close, whispering, "Hannah… calm down… I'm not going to let anything happen to you. You are perfectly safe."

I swallowed, but Seth's words calmed my heart enough for me to breathe steady again.

Quil stepped over cautiously. "Hey, Han. It's good to see you up and about. How you feeling?"

I found my voice. "I… I'm okay… tired…"

He gave a small smile. He was glad to hear me speak probably. I'm sure they all thought I was going to completely freeze up again. "You look like yourself a little more," he said. "Your colors' back. Guess it's good Seth stuck with you today. He's been a good nurse, I'm sure."

Embry laughed as he stepped over with a plate of food. "Nurse Seth. What a cute picture, Quil?"

Quil looked back at Embry. "Well he is. I hear he's the only person who is getting her to eat right now."

The fact I was so malnourished must've bothered Embry, because he frowned again. "Yeah…" His eyes shot back to me with worry. "Although I hear she's not eating much."

Sam suddenly stepped through the kitchen. "The meeting will start soon. Why don't you all keep near the wall. The council and I will take the spots closer. She's still not too comfortable with the pack yet. We don't want to crowd her."

A few minutes later Jacob returned and handed me some tea. I cautiously took it from him. He frowned when he saw my reaction to touching his hot skin. "It's still me, Hannah. I'm still Jake…"

His words hit me hard. "I… I know… I just need time," I whispered. "This is all just a lot to understand..."

He let out a heavy breath. His hand brushed a piece of my hair away from my eye. I was frozen, too scared to move. "I wish things could be different. You have no clue how much I wanted to tell you instead of you finding out like this… I was forced silent, but I tried to think of ways I could weasel around Sam's order. If I could've, I would've told you right there in the cafeteria when you started to cry. Knowing I caused those tears broke my heart into two. We all hated seeing what you had become from our betrayal. We knew we had hurt you, and we lived with that regret everyday."

I stared down at my steaming tea as tears formed. "You left me… you told me you didn't want me around... you all did…"

My words caused him to grimace. He let out a heavy breath. "I know…" He cupped my cheek, brushing a tear. "We will regret that for the rest of our lives. Every tear we caused you to shed breaks our hearts over and over." He kissed me on the forehead which was a definite surprise, but I also couldn't help but feel shivers run down my spine. He pulled away and smiled weakly. "We're not going anywhere again." He left me to give me some space, and I stared down at my tea.

I didn't believe him...

Soon the room was full of people. Including Seth and I, there were seven other werewolves, and four humans. My dad was parked closest to me, Old Quil sitting in a chair beside him, Sue on the other end near Seth, Sam on the recliner which was directly in front of me now, and Emily sat on the arm of the recliner. Jacob stood behind Sam, while the rest of the pack stayed near the wall of the room to give me space.

Old Quil was the first to speak. "The first manner of business to discuss is patrol schedules. Seth and Jacob are out tonight of course. Paul and Jared will do the night shift with Sam from nine to one, Leah will do one to four, and Quil and Embry will do four to eight before going over to Hannah. Any objections?"

The room was silent. I was looking around with confusion. Was this a council meeting? Were they not here to discuss only me? Maybe they were trying to make me feel like a member of the pack instead of the problem.

Dad sighed. "Good. Next manner of business. Any sign of the redhead?"

Jared spoke up. "We caught her scent yesterday morning heading towards Alaska. Paul and I chased her until we lost her odor in the snow. We were forced back. After that we haven't sensed her in the last twenty-four hours. She's testing her entries I think. But Forks and La Push are pretty well monitored with the Cullens helping us so I have a feeling she's waiting for one of us to let our guard down."

Sue asked, "And what of the newborns?"

Leah answered. "I went to Seattle yesterday. The place is covered in their stench but they are hiding during the day. I didn't smell the redhead, so I don't know if she's working with them or not. But I can tell there are at least twenty crawling around the area. Too many for us to try and take out on the streets without creating a scene."

Sam nodded. "I'll pass this information to the Cullens."

My dad sighed. "Moving on from that talk, does anyone have any concerns to bring to the table?" He glanced my way briefly and looked back at the group. "Other than the obvious."

Paul scowled. "Yeah. I've got a concern: Why the hell do I have to work with the Cullens now? I didn't sign up to run alongside a vampire."

Sam shut his eyes. "We discussed this Paul. We must put our differences aside for the moment. The Cullens are not a threat. We must protect the humans and our tribe."

Quil added, "You're just still sour about that vamp Emmett overpowering you."

Paul growled. "Shut up, Ateara."

His growl made me jump. I hadn't moved since the meeting had started. But the reminder of what he was from his animal sound caused me to flinch and almost drop my half downed tea. Seth caught the hot beverage before I could burn myself. He then said to the temperamental werewolf, "Cool it, Paul. Remember who's in here."

Paul immediately filled with regret. He looked at me apologetically.

Sam cleared his throat. "This brings us to the next topic. Everyone needs to watch their tempers. I've been receiving reports from Jared that some of you have been tense these last few weeks. I understand why, but just remember that we are trying to keep a low profile. If you erupt into a werewolf at school we're all screwed."

I flinched. I thought back to the day that Embry shoved me and also the day Jacob slammed the table. They both could have turned into a wolf right then and there if they got even more upset.

Seth noticed I had gone tense again. He pulled me closer to him to try and calm me down, his hand rubbing my arm to try and stop the goosebumps that had risen. No one but Seth had noticed as the conversation continued.

Sue agreed with Sam. "Even though my sister works for the school board and is aware of the pack, she won't hesitate to step in if you all start to threaten the other students. Keep a low profile."

Paul sighed. "Thank God I'm graduating in two weeks."

Jared scoffed. "You know that means more patrolling for us though right?"

He shrugged. "Hey. I'm happy to rip heads off of vampires any day."

My breathing hitched and I shivered again. I could picture a wolf tearing off a vampire's head and it made me even more nauseous. Seth noticed my body shake more. I shut my eyes and tried to calm my racing heart.

What world had I come into? Werewolves killing vampires? How many vampires had I crossed paths with during my lifetime?

"Hey…" Seth spoke again. "can we keep the talk here a little more subtle? Hannah's still getting used to things."

Paul defended himself. "She's going to have to get used to it. She can't get queasy every time we mention wolves and leeches."

Quil snapped, "She's still recovering, Paul. And this is a shock to her. It's only expected she's reacting how she is. Can't you have some empathy?"

I opened my eyes again to see Paul and Quil glaring at one another. Paul went to argue, but Jared elbowed him and whispered something. Paul glanced my way, and then let out a deep sigh. "Sorry… I'll shut up."

"Finally," Leah muttered.

Old Quil spoke again trying to draw the conversation back to center. "This brings us to the main purpose of this meeting." He looked over at Sam. "Would you like to take over?"

Sam nodded. He stood from the recliner and stepped over to me. My heart started to pound again. I hadn't consumed all of my tea, and Seth finally took it from me worried I was probably going to drop it. He handed it to his mom. The meeting was shifting back to me.

I had seen the werewolves in their true form. I had become part of their world, and now they were going to discuss what to do with me. My heart pounded harder. My breathing started to waver.

"Hannah… it's okay," Seth whispered, hugging me to his side again. "You're not in trouble. Calm down."

Sam tried to calm me down also. "This discussion will be focused around your protection, Hannah. You are Seth's imprint so you are not in danger for knowing our secret. All imprints are told when they are ready. But that's the issue here… you were not ready to know. So we have to work around this."

I gripped my mom's blanket pulling it tight around me. "I… I won't tell… I just… I'm confused. This is all so strange… a few months ago everything was normal, and then suddenly it was different. I… I didn't realize it was because everyone I knew was turning into werewolves."

My voice was a whisper. I was too scared to speak too loud. I didn't want to anger anyone.

Sam nodded, able to hear me well. I was sure Old Quil and the other humans had difficulty. "It is understandable that you feel this way. And we are sure you will keep the secret, but we have to be cautious. Also, since you are still not comfortable with anyone but Seth, I fear you will panic again if he has to leave you and you will try to run."

I swallowed. He was right. If Seth disappeared, and I was left alone again, I probably would take the opportunity. Because, I didn't want to be trapped at La Push without my werewolf protector. I didn't feel safe unless Seth was with me.

"So from this point forward you are not permitted to be alone. You will have a member of the pack at all times with you. We want you to get used to it, because until we destroy the threats outside of La Push you are in danger. Tonight, you will return to your home with Seth, Jacob, and your dad. We want you to start getting back into a routine. The school knows you'll be out again tomorrow. Dr. Cullen wants you to have one more day of recovery and we gave your updated note to the school today. Friday you will go back though. Finals are coming up in two weeks, so you have some make-up work. This Saturday you and Jared will work on it together. He's offered to help you try and get through some of it."

School? Did he really think I gave a crap about school anymore?

"Tomorrow, Seth will go back to school. I managed to get some notes for Quil, Embry, and Jacob to pull them out instead. Once Seth leaves they will take over. We want you to get used to not being by his side every minute of the day. Since your brother, Quil, and Embry were closest to you before all of this started we want to work on repairing some damage."

His words horrified me. I looked at Seth with agony, and then shut my eyes. My hand grabbed his shirt with fear. Seth was my sanity. If he left me I was worried I would get pulled back into the dark tunnel I had finally escaped.

"I told you she wouldn't like it," Seth muttered.

Jacob spoke up for the first time since the meeting began. "She can't cling to you every minute of the day, Seth. She has to learn how to survive without you. You can't get out of your pack duties forever. This will be good for her. Quil, Embry, and I know her best out of everyone else here. We'll take care of her."

Seth pulled me closer to him. I shut my eyes harder. Jacob's words made me recall all of the hurt he and my once best friends had caused me in the past. Every broken promise had been a piece of my soul. How were they going to repair that in one day?

"I'm sure you said that to her in January right before Embry bashed her head in."

Embry growled. "Watch it, Seth!"

My father spoke up. "Everyone calm down. This is not helping." He let out a heavy breath. "She will be okay, Seth. Sue and I will be there tomorrow to offer some human presence. But she needs to get used to things. She needs to move on."

I grit my teeth. Didn't I have a say? Why did they get to control my life?

The conversation continued, but I wasn't really paying much attention anymore. I was frustrated. Even though I finally knew about the pack, I was still not granted any privilege to have a choice in anything. If I could choose, I would cling to Seth all day tomorrow. If I could choose I would never be forced alone with the three people who had destroyed me.

Old Quil spoke again. "Does anyone have objections?"

"Yeah," Seth snapped. "Tons! I get I have to go to school, but why can't I be with her all day Saturday? Putting me on patrol just so you can force Hannah to get used to other members of the pack is stupid! She doesn't want to be with anyone else." He pulled me closer protectively.

Sue sighed. "Seth… this is also to help you. You have to learn how to control your imprint urges. Sam and Jared desire to be with Kim and Emily just as much, but they learned how to separate themselves just enough to focus on their tasks. You have to learn that too. Hannah's happiness is definitely important to all of us, but you being by her side twenty-four-seven will not make any progress."

Seth huffed. He didn't want to agree with his mom, but he knew he couldn't argue with her.

I finally found my voice. It was soft and shaky, but I knew they would hear. "Don't I have a say?"

The room was surprised when they heard me speak. All eyes shot towards me. I immediately regretted speaking. I knew I had to continue.

"I… I want to stay with Seth… I… I don't want to be with anyone else," I whispered.

Sam spoke up, although he was careful not to sound too harsh. "Sorry, Hannah… But you don't have a say. You're not out of the woods after your runaway attempt the other night. You may be a member of the pack now, but you are also under twenty-four hour supervision. Since we can't possibly have Seth by your side every minute of the day without arousing suspicion, you are going to have to get used to not being with him."

I fell quiet, and my hands gripped Seth's shirt harder. I wanted to argue, but I was scared I would anger Sam and unleash the wolf. Shutting my eyes, I wished I could just go back to the past at a time when werewolves and vampires were just myths. Seth rubbed circles around my back to try and comfort me again, but he knew I had gone back into my silent shell.

My dad spoke, seeing that I was done arguing. "Any other objections?"

The room was quiet.

"Okay. Then it's settled. Meeting is adjourned." Old Quil spoke. "Hannah Black is now an essential member to the pack, so from this day forward no one is to harm her. Anyone breaks this and they will be severely punished."

"Great," Paul began. "Now that all of this drama is settled, can Jared and I get some of your muffins before we go patrol, Emily?"

Opening my eyes finally, I looked over at Emily who was rolling her eyes but smiling. "Of course, Paul. I just stuck a batch in the oven earlier." She left the room. Paul and Jared followed.

Sue stood and stretched. "These meetings really need to be upgraded. Maybe we could look into some chairs with cushions." She looked over at Old Quil. "I'll drive you back home. Sam is giving Billy and the others a ride to their house." She then glanced over at Seth. "Mind your manners son. I'll be there in the morning to help Billy with breakfast."

Seth sighed. "I know mom…"

The humans left us to go back into the kitchen, and Leah stepped out of the house deciding her presence was no longer necessary. Once she was gone, the room was left with just Seth, Jacob, Quil, Embry, and I.

"Seth," Jacob said, crossing his arms. "Can I talk to you in private?"

Seth rubbed my shoulder to comfort me. "Only if Hannah's okay with that."

He shot his eyes to me. I frowned, but knew I couldn't be pathetic. I lowered my eyes and gave a small nod. My hands slowly released his shirt.

"Be right back," he whispered. "Just call if you need me. I have good hearing."

Seth kissed me softly on my forehead and stood. He followed Jacob out. I curled up on the couch again hugging my knees. My mom's blanket was still draped around me.

As I sat and waited for my protector to return, my eyes avoided Quil and Embry. So I was shocked when the spot beside me was taken by Quil. I flinched and tried to lean away.

"You're really that freaked by us, huh?" Quil went to touch my arm which was hugging my legs. I tried not to move, but I flinched again. His warm hand grabbed my own and he forced me to loosen my grip. "Don't be scared of me… please…" Quil's agony did calm my racing heart. I stared at his hand (which was larger than I remembered) with uncertainty. "We're no different than Seth. You don't have to be afraid of us."

Embry took my other side, and I was suddenly between them both. He grabbed my other hand and peeled the bandage away with curiosity. The skin where my cut had been was scabbed and raw. "Looks like it's healing well. I was worried you'd need stitches again." He smoothed the bandage down once more.

I pulled my hands away from both of them and went back to hugging my legs. After a moment, I found my voice again. Of course, it was not the powerful and confident voice I used to have. It was broken and wary.

"You don't have to try and be my friend again," I whispered. "You all seemed fine without me."

They were upset by my statement. Quil spoke with sadness. "Han… We had to leave you... We didn't want you to be part of what we had become. We had to let you go… we wanted you to stay out of our world."

My heart ached. "Did...Did you miss having me around at all?" I shut my eyes thinking back to their laughter and contentment whenever I would see them. "Or was I just a forgotten friend of the past?"

My question shocked them both. After a moment, Embry answered with sincerity. "Every time I saw you at that table alone, I felt like I was the worst monster out there. And the day I shoved you…let's just say I ran all the way to Canada that night and Sam had to bring me back..."

Quil took in a heavy breath. "All I ever wanted to do was run up and hug you in the last two months… it killed me on the inside knowing I had no choice but to stay away and watch you become less and less of what you used to be. We had hoped so much you would move on, but we saw that wasn't the case..."

"We miss our happy, and witty Hannah," Embry added. "Hopefully we'll see her soon. I've been dying to hear that laugh and see that smile again. Now that you know about us, we can go back to the way things were."

I frowned. Laugh? Smile? I smiled with Seth, but I had not laughed. Honestly, I forgot how to laugh. The bitter laugh that came out of me the day before was not the laugh they expected me to remember. I didn't know how to be happy with anyone but Seth anymore. Everyone else had taken advantage of my happiness and squashed it.

And they really expected things to go back to the way they were? I would never trust them again. I understood now that they were werewolves and that's why they left me, but they didn't have to be so cruel to me at a time when I didn't understand. They could've just told me they didn't like me anymore. They could've lied and said they just felt weird hanging out with Jacob's sister and wanted to find new friends. It would've hurt at the time, but then at least I would've felt I wasn't the problem and they were just idiots. But they kept telling me they had to leave me to not hurt me. Their lack of explanation only made things worse. It made me believe I was the problem. I became insecure, thinking I had done something to earn everyone's hate. I blamed myself for months, believing I had said or done something to earn my ostracism. I stopped talking, and I started punishing myself.

Just one explanation. That was all I ever asked for. And no one ever gave it to me.

"I'm sorry," I suddenly whispered. "But the Hannah you remember is gone… she died back in March when the last person she trusted stabbed her in the heart and never explained to her why."

They went quiet as my statement broke their own hearts.

Third Person POV

Jacob stood at the edge of the yard trying to calm his fury; and his hurt. Seeing Hannah cling to Seth so strongly aroused a feeling within him he only felt when it came to Bella and Edward Cullen: jealousy. He was envious of Seth.

Once long ago Hannah had depended on him. After their mom died, she stuck by his side and they were inseparable. But seeing Hannah so repulsed by his touch, and so desperate to be with Seth really pissed him off.

Seth had followed Jacob outside, but he wasn't happy about it. He wanted to go back inside knowing Hannah was probably terrified about being left alone with Quil and Embry.

Jacob turned to Seth with a glare. "I've tried to keep my mouth shut, but I'm starting to have it with your attitude. Don't you dare act like you know Hannah more than I do. I'm tolerating her being so close to you right now because of her condition, but I don't appreciate you bad mouthing all of us. Hannah's your imprint, but we are your pack brothers. Stop accusing us of things you don't understand."

Seth grit his teeth. He then let out a breath of air to try not to yell. "I'm only stating the facts. Hannah only trusts me right now. The rest of you betrayed her. Do you really think you can get her to forget about all the shit you put her through by spending the day with her tomorrow? You three ruined her. Now it's my job to fix her."

Jacob crossed his arms. "She's my sister, Seth. My twin sister. I will fix her too."

Seth scoffed. "You? You broke her. If I remember correctly, she was about to run to Seattle because of you. I would never slam her into a wall and call her a pain!"

Jacob snarled. "Do you really want to fight me again, Seth?"

Seth narrowed his eyes. He growled. Jacob growled back.

"Stop it! Both of you!" Sam had heard the argument and came out quickly. He stepped between them with frustration. "Pulling each other's heads off will not help Hannah get better! We all need to get along and work together right now! Act like a pack and stop being idiots! That's an order!"

Seth and Jacob immediately stopped growling at one another.

Sam sighed. "I understand why you both are frustrated, but at the end of the day how you feel needs to be put aside. If you both truly care about her, then fighting is only a waste of time. Instead, focus on working together to help her get comfortable around the pack and trust again. She needs protectors, but she also needs friends and family. Keep focused on making her happy instead of yourselves! Got it?!"

Jacob and Seth listened to Sam knowing he was right.

Seth let out a heavy breath. His eyes softened. "I just don't want her to be hurt again, Jake…"

Jacob calmed. His eyes shut as he let out a deep sigh. "I know… I don't want to ever hurt her again."