Author's Note: Sorry for the confusion with the chapter updates if you've been following for more than a week. I accidentally posted a chapter in the wrong spot and couldn't remember where I meant to put it! I worked out the kinks and we're back in business... If you've already met Nerissa, don't worry. She'll be back!

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and material belong to Stephenie Meyer and other respective owners. Andie and various other newbies are my own creations. Still, I make no profit and mean no harm.

"You ready for that hotdog, Nessie?"

She turned her head his way with a dark look that would have freaked Jake out if he'd been anyone else; but because he was her imprint, or maybe just because he was Jake, Jacob took it in stride. Chuckling and poking her in the ticklish spot in her side.

"I know you don't want to, but you've gotta eat something, girlie."

"We could go hunting," Nessie's brown eyes twinkled as a mischievous grin pulled at her lips.

"No can do," Jake shook his head. He couldn't help feeling like a jerk when his imprint's grin faded into a pout, but he stood his ground. Bella had enlisted his help in getting the little half-pyre to eat human food out of fear that her daughter's vampy side was starting to overshadow her humanity, and after seeing the way that she'd been acting – rather predatorily and unnaturally still (for a human) – Jake was inclined to agree. "You promised me you'd try eating people food."

"I don't want to. It smells funny, Jakey," Nessie whined, shrinking into his hoodie and pulling it up to cover her nose – she had borrowed it to block the strange smells after all.

"It only smells funny because you haven't had it before."

"And I don't want to."

"Nessie," Jake hit Nessie with a well-practiced set of puppy eyes and held her gaze until he could tell she was about to crack. "Please, pretty, please with a cherry on top?"

"Fine."

Rachel Black, soon to be Lahote, watched the exchange as she fixed a dessert plate to share with her imprint. She considered aborting the mission to avoid the discomfort of being so close to her brother and his imprint about whom she had so many mixed feelings.

On the one hand, it was kind of adorable to see the way her giant of a little brother charmed the little girl, but at the same time it was also rather disconcerting.

It didn't take a mindreader to tell that Nessie was crushing on Jake – the telltale blush the half-pire had inherited from her mother was enough of a giveaway – and that was the source of Rachel's worry. Unlike most little girl crushes which came and went with the moon, this one was different because it was between imprints, and imprinting bonds were designed to make wolves into whatever their imprints wanted. The thought made Rachel feel guilty and sick to her stomach for worrying, but she couldn't help the rising fear that her brother might return his little imprint's crush… and she had no idea what to do.

Sensing his imprint's unease Paul turned his head toward her, but Rachel waved him off with a shake of her head and a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"'Scuse me, Sis."

Rachel moved out of the way so Jacob could grab the tray of hotdogs. He held the aluminum tray out so his imprint could see and she scrunched her nose up at him disdainfully before reaching out a small, pale hand to touch one of his much larger, darker ones.

I don't think that's real people food, my Jacob.

Jacob barked a laugh, shaking his head and setting the tray down in favor of another one.

"How about a hamburger?"

Nessie peered into the tray dubious, but decidedly more receptive to the notion of eating a hamburger than a hotdog. She recalled talking to Grandpa Charlie on the phone while he was at the diner eating one of these hamburgers – he'd mentioned that one could ask for a burger to be cooked to order.

"Can I get a raw one?"

"You mean rare," Rachel tried to correct, but the little girl shook her head; the mess of curls atop her head bounced wildly.

"Raw as in uncooked, bloody."

"Oh, really?" Rachel didn't know how to respond to that.

"It's a compromise. I prefer blood, but Mommy says that it will make humans uncomfortable if I eat drink blood, and Grandpa Carlisle said that sometimes we must sacrifice our happiness for the sake of others -" Renesmee's explanation was cut off when Jake scooped her up and sat her on his shoulder, making her squeal in delight; she quickly reigned herself in.

"Sorry, Ness, I'm afraid they've all been on the barbecue, but I grabbed the pinkest burger I could find."

"Jacob!" Renesmee scolded, "Daddy doesn't like it when you manhandle me."

Daddy needs to lighten up, Jake thought to himself, but said nothing. Instead, he rolled his eyes and set the girl back on her feet, then squatted so that they were at eye level.

"You see that log over there?" he pointed to the bench nearest Billy and Renesmee nodded, "Race ya."

Miri was cuddled up cozily in the arms of her boyfriend and imprint, Kyle Raven; he was a toasty one hundred and eight degrees, so she was nice and warm, maybe even a little too warm judging from the light sheen of sweat, so she welcomed the sudden breeze. She thought nothing of it until she saw the little Cullen girl seemingly materialize at her side.

She jumped in fright. Kyle's arms tightened protectively around Miri as he curled a lip back at the other wolf's freakish imprint. Jake's answering growl was low and threatening; Renesmee looked up curiously just in time to see Kyle scoot away with Miri on his lap.

"Oh," she looked down at the burger that'd been all but forgotten in her hand.

"It's not your fault, Ness," Jake hugged her to his side.

She took a bite of the sandwich so he wouldn't expect her to respond. Jake sighed, his heart hurt for his sad little imprint. Feeling eyes on his forehead, Jake looked up and spotted Old Quil blatantly staring with a look that was equal parts curious and repulsed.

Jacob glared at the elder, he was tired of having to defend his imprint to everyone. The old man raised his hands apologetically and looked away, but kept his train of thought. There was something wrong with the alpha and future chief being imprinted to a cold one. Something about the imprint just didn't sit quite right with him, even if it did mean that Charlie's connection to the tribe would finally be formalized.

The rest of the pack trickled over to the bonfire, taking seats on logs, and grass, and lovers' laps. Once they were all comfortably seated and he had their attention, Billy began.

"I know that you have all heard the stories of Taha Aki and the Protectors of La Push, but for a few of you," his eyes drifted to where the new pack members were seated around the circle, "the stories that you hear tonight will bear a new significance. Tonight, you are not just hearing stories and legends, tonight, you are hearing the truths of your people.

"The Quileutes have always been a small people from the beginning. And we are a small people still, but we have never disappeared. We have magic in our blood. It wasn't always the power to shape-shift, but before that, we were spirit warriors…"

Billy's voice carried some of the magic he spoke of - transporting his audience to another time as he told the stories of Kaheleha, the first great Spirit Chief, and Taha Aki, the Great Wolf. His words painted vivid pictures of the first cold ones and the selflessness of the third wife's sacrifice. The new pack members listened with rapt attention as he concluded:

"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 - their numbers have forced a larger pack than the tribe has ever seen.

"And so the sons of our tribe must again carry the burden and share the sacrifice their fathers endured before them."

Billy finished and relaxed into his chair, but the magic of his storytelling lingered in the air. A thoughtful silence settled over the pack. New members absorbed what they had been told and their elders reflected on the burden that'd been placed on their shoulders.

Andie stiffened suddenly in her imprint's arms. Her breathing grew shallow, her heart rate spread up, and her hands went clammy. Fear rolled off her in waves. The whole pack smelled it.

"What's wrong?" Aaron asked, ready to defend his imprint against whatever was causing her distress.

"You're a wolf - you're all wolves - and you only change when there are cold ones around. Everyone keeps saying cold ones, but you mean vampires, right? Vampires… are real." Andie was nearly hyperventilating now.

Aaron put his hands on either side of Andie's waist, turning her around in his lap to face him, and brought his forehead down to rest gently against hers. He invaded her senses with his presence, making the world around them seem to fall away.

"I will not let any of them harm you."

The confidence in Aaron's voice comforted Andie: he was her mate, he would protect her, she was safe.

"Cullens are animal drinkers," Renesmee reminded the group, as the only member of her family present, she felt the need to defend it, "we don't drink human blood."

"We know the Cullens are good people, Ness," Seth attempted to reassure the little hybrid, but not everyone was of the same mindset.

"Vampires are hardly people," Zion Lahote scoffed and a number of the other wolves chorused their agreement.

"I'm going to take my family home now," Sam stood, effectively ending the conversation before it could get too far out of hand, "the rest of you feel free to do the same. We'll have a joint pack meeting in an hour and a half."

That said, he helped Emily to her feet and handed her their sleeping son, before moving over to the table to collect the dishes that'd come from their house.

"Is Claire still asleep?" Emily asked the giant wolfman holding her little niece in his arms. Claire had been determined to stay awake, but had succumbed to the Sandman's call somewhere between Taha Aki joining with the wolf and the Third Wife's sacrifice.

"Yeah, she's out, I can carry her to the car if you want."

"Thanks, Quil," the left side of Emily's face turned up in a gentle smile. Sam wrapped an arm around her waist and lead her towards their secondhand minivan, Quil trailing behind.

As they left, the pack began to disperse. Soon, Embry Call was alone with the two Clearwater siblings.

"Some of us are going cliff diving, do you wanna come?" Leah was staring off into the dying coals and Seth was hesitant to leave his sister when she was in one of her moods.

"No thanks, Seth," Leah sighed, she knew what Seth was doing; he thought that she was depressed and had made it his personal mission to make her happy. It wasn't going to work, but he was a sweetheart for trying; Seth would make some lucky girl a wonderful imprint.

"Embry?"

"I'm good."

Seth hesitated a moment longer. His supernatural hearing allowed him to hear his packmates calling him from a mile away.

"I'm coming, guys," Seth yelled over his shoulder; he turned back to his sister, "I'll see you later."

"Okay, Sethy, go have fun," Leah smiled encouragingly.

Seth rolled his eyes at the nickname as he jogged toward the cliffs; as he disappeared, so did Leah's smile. Embry watched as she seemed to grow smaller.

"That kid's way too overprotective," Embry remarked after a moment of silence.

"He's not a kid anymore…" Leah sighed, never taking her eyes off the dying fire; she was watching the last coal go dark, "he hasn't been a kid for a long time."

"What're you thinking about?"

"Nothing," Leah lied, silently willing Embry to leave her in peace. She didn't get her wish. Embry got up from where he was sitting and joined Leah on the bench. He picked up a forgotten stick and poked around the coals to revive the flames.

"You wanna know what I'm thinking?"

She didn't. Leah said nothing and Embry continued unperturbed.

"I think we're meeting so Jake and Sam can tell us the packs are getting back together. Am I right?"

Leah didn't have to answer, the way she whipped her head around to face him was answer enough. Embry let the stick in his hand ignite and dropped it into the fire; nodding to himself as he grabbed a handful of kindling and arranged it on the flames.

"I had a feeling Sam wasn't going to stay in the pack much longer," he sat back on the bench and watched the flames dance, "Emily's pregnant again."

"How'd you know?" Leah asked. Emily hadn't started showing yet and it was too soon to hear the baby's heartbeat; Leah wouldn't have even known if she hadn't been at the Council meeting that day. Had Jake let it slip?

"I get feelings about things like this. Kind of like a sixth sense about pack stuff…" Embry's confession was quiet, he didn't know why he was telling Leah Clearwater of all people. She made a face at him.

"What, Leah?"

"So you're a psychic werewolf, huh?" an amused grin spread across her face.

"Leah," he groaned, "I'm serious."

"I believe you, you big whiner. It's a little weird, but I guess it's pretty fair. Q'wati finally decided to even the playing field."

"I'm not Alice," Embry shrugged, "I just get feelings sometimes."

They watched the flames grow together in silence for a few minutes before Embry spoke. His voice was gentle, as though he was afraid he might frighten the she-wolf.

"What had you so upset earlier? Was it Emily -"

"I'm way over that," Leah cut him off, feeling herself getting riled up, "I don't care about Sam and I'm tired of people thinking that I do."

"I meant about the baby."

"Oh," Leah's voice was small, she had shrunken into herself again. Embry could've kicked himself for bringing it up. Why'd have to be so nosy? "No, I wasn't thinking about that… I'm okay with it, I guess. I'm happy for her, she's lucky - not to have Sam, I mean, but to be able to…"

She trailed off she hadn't had the chance to even consider having kids before the entire possibility was taken from her and now, without that possibility, she felt so… barren. It was crazy, most girls utterly dreaded their periods, but each time Leah's failed to arrive, she found herself a little bit more heartbroken.

Embry could see sadness clouding Leah's face, he interrupted her train of thought before it could settle there.

"You're not worried Jared's going to take Beta, are you?"

"As if," Leah scoffed, "he's probably right on Sam's heels, waiting for his chance to retire. You know Jared does everything Sam does. If anything, you should be worried about having to fight Paul for third."

"Naw," Embry shook his head confidently, "Jake hates Paul and Paul wouldn't want the responsibility anyways. He likes being able to do what he wants too much… Even if he did want it, I could take him."

"Really?" Leah raised an incredulous eyebrow at Embry.

"Geez, Leah, tell me how you really feel."

Leah shrugged off-handedly, her gaze straying back to the fire.

"Hey, Embry?"

"Yeah?"

"How do you think Jake will handle being Alpha of such a large pack?"

"I dunno he's been pretty good with us, why?"

"I just worry… what if something like tonight happens again and he has to choose between one of us and Nessie?"

"She's his imprint."

He didn't have to elaborate. They both knew what he meant. Embry sighed.

"I hope I never imprint."

"I thought all wolves wanted to imprint," Leah turned to him in shock.

"Do you want to imprint?"

"No… well, sometimes, but not often."

"Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against finding my soulmate… I'd just rather not imprint, ya know?" Embry gave Leah a curious glance like she was a puzzle he was trying to solve.

"What, Embry?"

"Nothing… I just thought you hated imprinting."

"I hate what it does to people, but imprinting is supposed to produce stronger wolves, so…" she trailed off. "You know, sometimes I wonder if the reason I phased is that the ancestors knew I was a biological dead end."

"Leah," Embry's heart hurt for her.

He put an arm around her and pulled her into his side. Leah let him.

"I mean think about it, Rachel didn't phase - if any girl was gonna phase, shouldn't it have been her? She's the Alpha's older sister."

Embry didn't know what to say to her. He didn't have a silver lining to offer and he knew Leah had already heard enough sorries to last a lifetime or two. So, he didn't say anything. He just sat there and held her and it was enough.

They sat there, watching the fire. Content. Together.

Embry took a deep breath.

"Embry, did you just sniff my hair?" Leah was instantly suspicious.

"You smell good, Clearwater."

"I don't mind," she turned her face into his side and took an exaggeratedly deep breath, "you smell good, too."

Author's Note:

For your reference, I'm sharing the current pack lists. The unnamed wolves from Breaking Dawn are marked with an asterisk* and my new additions are denoted with a plus+. Imprints follow in (parantheses). Wolves are listed by pack rank.

Jake's Pack:

Jacob Black, 18 (Renesmee Cullen, 2/6)

Leah Clearwater, 22

Embry Call, 19

Quil Ateara, 18 (Claire Young, 4)

Ephraim Hoh, 20*

Michael Talltree, 21*

Seth Clearwater, 16

Gabriel Talltree, 18* (Natalia Strong, 12+)

Judah Taxilit, 17*

Daniel Talltree, 17+

Aaron Smelt, 16+ (Andie Raven, 16+)

Sam's Pack:

Sam Uley, 22 (Emily Young, 23)

Jared Cameron, 19 (Kim Chimakum, 19)

Paul Lahote, 19 (Rachel Black, 24)

Collin Littlesea, 15

Brady Fuller, 15

Chase Chimakum, 16*

Zion Lahote, 18*

Kyle Raven, 17* (Miriam "Miri" Hoh, 19+)