To the guest reviewer(s) with the subject lines "Interesting" and "Ugh," I'd love to continue the conversation. Send me a PM.
Disclaimer: I make absolutely no profit from this fanfiction. Equinox is not intended to be an infringement of any copyright laws. Twilight is the intellectual property of Stephenie Meyer. The plot of Equinox, the new characters, and the names of the previously unnamed wolves from the Volturi are my own intellectual property.
Emily was rubbing her eyes tiredly by the time she made it into the house. Sam flicked on the lights and turned to see her yawning as she fumbled with her shoes.
"Why don't you go ahead?" he smoothed the bangs she'd been growing out away from her face and cupped Emily's cheek in his hand; her eyes slipped closed as she nuzzled into the warmth of his touch. "I'll put the kids to bed."
"We've been outside all day," she blinked open her eyes as looked at him with a bleary gaze, "we need baths and the dishes need to be washed…"
She was interrupted by another yawn.
"I can take care of Kade and the dishes," Sam offered, "and Claire just needs someone to make sure she washes behind her ears and doesn't drown herself, right?"
Emily smiled a sleepy grin at Sam's accidental humor and nodded.
"I can handle that, you just get ready for bed, Em."
"I love you," she sighed.
"I love you, too."
Sam helped Claire get situated in the tub and set up the blue and green baby bathing chair for his cub. Kaden was nearly too big for the chair. In a few months, he wouldn't be able to fit at all. Sam smiled at the thought that soon another chubby brown baby would sit in the seat.
"Uncle Sammy," Claire called, "I'm done!"
"Did you wash behind your ears?"
Sam heard the water's telltale swooshing as Claire hurried to wash the forgotten body part.
"Yes."
"Unplug the drain," Sam advised as he rinsed Kaden off and grabbed the baby's puppy-hooded bath towel from the rack. He slipped the hood over Kaden's head and wrapped him up like a burrito, picking him up as he handed Claire her pink and orange striped towel.
"Here you go, Claire. Dry off."
Claire emerged from behind the shower curtain and Sam led her out of the bathroom -flipping off the light as he went- and down the hall into the guestroom.
"Let's see what we can find for you to sleep in," he said, but he didn't have to look further than the bed where Hello Kitty nightgown was neatly folded beside Claire's much-loved, now one-eyed wolf that'd been a gift from Quil the first Christmas after their imprint. "Looks like Aunt Emmy already took care of things, goodnight Claire Bear."
Sam diapered Kaden and slipped him into a footie pajama before putting him in his crib and going to check on his imprint.
Emily had fallen asleep in the tub. Her head rested against her arm that was propped up on the corner of the tub that had been designed to hold soap and toiletries. Emily's other hand still clutched her washcloth. Sam knelt on the side of the tub and turned on the hot water to warm up the bath, once it was satisfactorily warm, he turned off the water and pried the towel from his sleeping imprint's pruney fingers. Grabbing the soap from where it had sunk to the bottom of the tub near Emily's knee and began to bathe her the same way he'd bathed his cub. She woke up with a yawn.
"Didn't realize how tired I was… Are Claire and Kade in bed?"
"Mhmm."
"Did you get the dishes?"
"I will."
"Turn around for me," Sam dipped the towel into the water and rubbed it up Emily's arm.
"You don't have to keep doing this," Emily said as she complied. She turned her head so that she could see Sam as he washed her back. "I'm awake now. I can bathe myself."
"I'm almost finished," Sam traded the towel for a cup and rinsed her off. When he was satisfied that she was clean, Sam planted a kiss on Emily's shoulder and unplugged the drain.
"Thank you," Emily sighed contentedly, taking his hand to stand up so that she could rinse off the suds in the shower. "What do you want for breakfast, Sammy? Maybe cinnamon rolls?"
"Cinnamon rolls sound perfect."
Sam looked forward to the days that would truly end like this- with simple domestic bliss that rolled over into mornings with breakfasts that boasted of homemade cinnamon rolls, orange juice, sausage... and yogurt. There had always been something so wholesome and cheery about the families that shared a complete breakfast together on television, but it was the real-life yogurt families who went the extra mile.
Yogurt families were the ones who showed up for school events and brought cupcakes for birthdays and were always ready with bandaids for the most minor injuries. They were the ones who asked "how was your day" and knew all your friends and invited the kid with the abusive dad to come over for homework and dinner so he wouldn't be alone with Joshua when his mom worked nights…
Sam had always imagined himself with a yogurt family, but Emily made excellent cinnamon rolls.
-EQUINOX-
The wolves gathered as humans in the forest. Those who didn't know La Push's best-kept secret might have guessed that they were performing some sort of gang ceremony based on the way they looked when they gathered. The two packs stood in a circle, formed unconsciously with Jacob's pack on one side and Sam's on the other, each pack was organized according to rank.
The two alphas were the last to arrive. They took their places and the circle was complete. The wolves' curious chatter quieted.
Sam's voice filled the air.
"Those of you who have been here since the beginning know that it was never meant for us to be divided. Tonight, we return to each other."
The wolves blinked with various degrees of understanding.
"We're reuniting the packs," Jake announced. "Any questions?"
The younger wolves grinned at each other as if their parents had just announced a permanent sleepover. Some of the older wolves weren't so pleased.
In particular, Ephraim was bothered by the notion of sharing headspace with his little sister's imprint, Aaron was deeply concerned about having to navigate even more voices in his head, and Paul was generally dreading being under Jake's rule… It went without saying that Jake would be Alpha given the whole "Ephraim Black's son was not born to follow Levi Uley's" scene they'd all witnessed from the day Jake had claimed his birthright and split the pack. Of course, that understanding came with its own can of worms. Leech lover for Alpha? Sam's pack balked at the thought as it circulated through their collective consciousness.
Not my Alpha.
Is Sam actually okay with this?
Ask him.
Maybe you shouldn't.
Somebody has to.
"So, you're good with this Sam? With the leeches' lapdog leading the Pack? You wanna be his bitch?" The Lahote cousins were known all over the Pacific Northwest for their hotheadedness, so no one was really surprised when Zion spoke up.
Still, Jake's pack erupted in snarls, barred teeth, and rumbling growls. Paul bared his teeth right back and balled his hands into fists, fighting the urge to phase as a tremor ripped down his spine. Zion may have been out of line, but Paul didn't take kindly to his pup being threatened by another pack.
"We are one Pack and you will address your Alpha with respect!" Sam snapped a weightless command. The packs - pack - turned to Sam. All but the few in the know had questions burning in their eyes.
"To answer your question, I'm not taking Second," Sam's eyes shot to Leah, then danced away. "I won't challenge any of you for rank… I'll help with this transition, but then I'm phasing out for good."
"You're giving up your wolf? Why?" Brady was shocked.
"It's time," Sam repeated, nodding authoritatively like he was sure. There was a moment of silence, but Sam's pack was freaking out internally.
Is our pack supposed to just line up behind them?
No way I'm taking last.
"There are some questions about rank," Sam shared.
I thought you couldn't fucking hear us.
Chill, man.
Jake nodded and his pack exchanged looks.
What does that mean for the rest of us?
This better not turn into an age thing.
"Everyone, just hold on for a second," Jake held up his hands to silence the voices.
Much to his credit, the young alpha had managed to keep his promise about not issuing an Alpha command… of course, that meant his pack followed by individual choice which meant that they could choose alternative options as well.
"Clearly there is a lot to figure out here and we're not going to have it all done tonight." Leah took a step forward as she spoke, "It took us years to get to this point and it's going to require more time to adjust to being one Pack again. As for the issue of rank, we're wolves. We can settle this as wolves. If anyone wants to fight me for Beta, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Leah phased seamlessly and prowled the circle for challengers. She may have been the smallest wolf thanks to sexual dimorphism (shoutout to the ancestors for being sexist), but everyone knew she was the fastest and the most dangerous.
Someone's got a big head… fastest, sure. Most dangerous? Not by a long shot. Quil huffed.
Oh, yeah? You wanna find out. Leah pranced over.
I would, but my momma raised me never to hit a girl. Quil quipped.
Leah snapped her teeth at the jokester and knocked him over with her big lupine head, pawing at his chest in a playful show of dominance. She knew that Quil was far from being a real threat, but she had a point to make. Quil took it in stride, laughing and holding up his hands in surrender.
"Okay, okay. Uncle, or should I say Auntie?"
The Pack snickered as Leah licked his face.
Good boy.
Leah completed her round and returned to her spot beside the Alpha, crossing her front paws and feeling very pleased with herself. She was a little miffed that she hadn't gotten a chance to fight, but she appreciated that no one wanted to contend with her.
"Welp," Jake clapped his hands loudly, "you heard the lady- let's phase."
The imprinted wolves and some of the shyer ones ran into the woods to change so that Leah wouldn't see their immodesty. Collin, on the other hand, brazenly danced his way out of his jean shorts like a Chippendale striptease. He knew that Leah knew he'd had the biggest crush on her when he was a shrimpy thirteen-year-old pup; now that he'd filled out, Collin had grown fond of showing off his body. Seth threw his shorts at Jake's little cousin.
"Can you not try to seduce my sister right now? Thanks."
Collin phased and barked a laugh.
Ephraim and Jake shared a pained look before phasing alongside their sister's imprints.
Do you guys hear anything?
Yeah, we can hear you.
Not me, stupid. Aren't we supposed to be able to hear them?
Yeah. I mean they're Pack now, right?
I don't think they're Pack if we can't hear them.
Maybe Sam has to submit in order for it to count.
Didn't he already just do that?
Okay, maybe they have to fight.
As if summoned, Sam trotted over to Jake, tucking his tail and stopping just a few feet away. Jake closed the gap between them, shoving his shoulder into Sam's chest and resting his neck on top of Sam's head.
The black wolf crouched lower, twisting himself at a weird angle so he could lick at his Alpha's muzzle. The russet wolf nipped at the black one's neck, jaw snapping closer and closer as he growled until Sam's wolf's head was on the ground. Sam dropped his hind legs so that he was lying down and rolled over onto his back. The Alpha bounded forward and back in the ancient dance of dominance. After nipping at the other wolf's exposed belly and neck a few times, the Alpha pulled back with a yip and returned to his spot beside the gray she-wolf.
The barriers that'd been blocking the packs from hearing one another were suddenly gone. Separate conversations spilled over into new packmates' heads. It was chaos.
I'm not doing that shit.
Did you guys see Sam's balls?
Am I the only one who feels like that was weird?
Who do I have to fight for third?
You think you can take Embry?
I'm really okay with where I am right now.
Who do you think his dad is?
I guess they are Pack.
Hi, I'm Aaron. I'm new, so I'm really not sure who everyone is just yet, and this is a bit overwhelming, but I look forward to getting to know you all.
Nerd.
This is Seth speaking, I promise it'll get better.
Brown noser.
Dude, we all sniff butts.
Kiss-up.
Q'wati, this is really too much.
Is anyone else feeling dizzy?
There were nineteen different perspectives, nineteen different thoughts, nineteen different wolves now crammed into the same headspace. It was too confusing to try and navigate figuring out the rest of the hierarchy at that moment. The time would come for those things. Right now, they had to learn to be Pack.
It was unclear who'd made the suggestion, but by some consensus, the pack took off running through the forest. The feeling of running with such a large pack was indescribable. It was exhilarating and invigorating. They felt invincible.
Blood rushed in their veins, oxygen-filled their lungs, crisp night air ran through their fur. They felt alive in ways they'd never been before.
On the tallest cliff overlooking La Push, the wolves gathered. When all nineteen were there, they sat on their haunches and threw back their heads, howling their elation at the moon.
-EQUINOX-
It was a rare night when Nayeli Reed could simply lie in bed and fall right to sleep. Tonight was not one of those nights. She had tossed and turned for an hour and then spent the next two counting the imaginary sheep that lived on her ceiling before she finally drifted off to sleep. Sleep lasted a hellish hour and a half.
Nayeli woke up screaming. Her heart was beating impossibly fast, her chest was tight, she couldn't breathe. He had come for her, he had found her, and now he would kill her. She searched her room with wild eyes, seeking out the author of her terror. She registered her surroundings. This was not the same room from her nightmare. He was not here. She was safe in Aba's house.
Aba!
She rolled out of bed and slipped into the moccasins that sat on the floor beside her headboard; they beat silently against the wooden floor as she flew down the hall to his room. She knew that it was just another nightmare, but she couldn't shake the terror. She had to know that her grandfather was safe. Nayeli pressed her ear against Aba's door and her shoulders sagged with relief at the sound of his deep, nasal breathing. Still, she wondered, how long had it been since her night terrors stopped waking him?
With trembling fingers, she wiped away the tears she'd unknowingly cried and pushed herself away from his door to continue down the dark hall, trailing her fingers along the walls. Nayeli didn't need a guide since she made this trek in the dark nearly every night, but it was calming.
The ancient floorboards creaked beneath her feet as she stepped into the kitchen. Moonlight peeked through the lacy curtains covering the window, illuminating the room so Nayeli didn't have to switch on the fluorescent overhead lights. She dug a saucepan out of the cupboard and filled it with milk, using a match from the drawer beside the sink to ignite a flame on the stove. As the milk began to heat, Nayeli grabbed the blue box of Swiss Miss from its place atop the microwave and dumped two packets of chocolate powder into the saucepan. She took a mug down from the rack where it had been hung to dry and, turning off the stove, poured her hot chocolate into the cup.
Sipping delicately at the hot liquid, Nayeli went into the family room and took her grandmother's quilt from the back of the couch. She draped it over her head and secured the blanket under her arms, effectively swaddling herself, before going outside to sit in the porch swing.
Rain dripped lazily from the dark night sky and trees swayed languidly with the wind. Wolves howled somewhere out in the distance. The wind chimes that hung from the end of the porch danced, gently clacking whenever they encountered one another.
The moon was full and high in the sky.
Nayeli remembered the song her mother used to sing. She would sit on Ká's lap, Akecheta would snuggle against their mother's side (until he decided that he was too old for lullabies, and then Ká held Nayeli closer while Akecheta sat in the doorway of his room, struggling to hear), and Ká would sing:
Now the moon is in the sky
To the sun we say goodbye.
Father Sun sleeps in the West
In the sky, we see the moon
Shadows creep. The night comes soon
Father Sun sleeps in the West
And his people go to rest.
Nayeli missed her mother's voice. She missed her warmth, missed her smell. She missed her brother's smile and his wild laugh when he teased her. She missed her father's kind eyes and his big hands that ruined her hair when he came home from work and made her feel safe when they held her.
Tears rolled down her cheeks, dripping down to her neck, plinking into her mug, making wet spots on the quilt. Nayeli closed her eyes. She pretended that her warm blanket was her mother's embrace, that the rocking of the swing was the vibration of Akecheta's laugh, and that the moonlight caressing her face was her father's protective gaze.
The sound of rustling in the trees made Nayeli open her eyes. Her chimes were just as quiet as ever and no breeze blew past her. It was not the wind that had made the trees move. There was something out there. Nayeli was torn between wanting to investigate and wanting to hide. She gripped the mug tighter.
The trees rustled again and whatever had been there left. Nayeli drank the last of her once-hot chocolate and went back inside.
Author's Note: I'm looking for a good beta, so you're interested, PM me.
Also, don't forget to review. See you next time. XOXO.