Chapter 30

People had settled down to eat, and Elder Ateara was getting ready for the ritual, welcoming the new alpha and blessing the mated alpha pair. Everything The Elder did, shows that he wasn't preparing the ritual he wanted and was eager to perform but to get something done that he hated with a gusto. He was giving sideways glances at the alpha pair, who wasn't paying any attention to the people around them, and there wasn't any love lost in those glares. Elder Harry Clearwater had told him that Ateara despised the Young Alpha because of his father, and he didn't welcome the pale face mate to the tribe with open arms either. He was a racist, ignorant and unforgiving fool.

"Is young Fuller coming soon?" Ateara asked, speaking loudly.

"He should be here in any minute," answered one of the younger wolves.

This would be the right time for Kal-lape to make his presence known, but he decided to wait a bit longer. He looked at the pairs sitting around the bonfire where the wolves and their imprints were cozily snuggling while a young non-imprinted wolf was talking with Harry Clearwater.

One of the wolves was missing. This must be the young Fuller. They didn't have to wait for him long; soon, Kal-lape heard footsteps, two sets of footsteps, one of a young male and another of a small child.

Why was one of the wolves bringing a child to this gathering? It was strictly for the pack, imprints, and the elders only.

"Hey, I'm sorry we're late," the young man said. He lifted a giggling little girl to his shoulders. "Emma had a doctor's appointment earlier today, and we couldn't leave until after."

"That's okay, Braby. How is little Emma?" Ateara asked.

"Oh, she's fine. Had her two years check-up is all."

Kal-lape realized in dismay that the little girl was the wolf's imprint. If it were a typical situation, that wouldn't be horrible since there was a reason why they shared the imprint bond, but this lot thought that imprinting was for mating only and there was a little girl present, and the wolf was a mere boy himself.

All this made it more evident how powerful the spell cast over them was. There was no clear mind insight other than the alpha's, hiss mate's, and that of the elder Harry Clearwater's when it came to imprinting.

Of course, he knew that at this point, there wasn't anything romantic about the imprint bond the little girl and the wolf shared, but they seemed to think that the wolf would wait, continue to phase until the girl would be at the right age for mating. It disgusted Kal-lape on so many levels. This girl would grow up thinking of her wolf as a big brother, and after coming off age, they would expect her to fall in love with him. It might happen, the spell was potent and would extend over time, but it wasn't the reason for this imprint. It most likely happened because the little girl needed a protector, and the wolf needed to be a big brother to become a better and stronger wolf.

Had they thought that this young man would wait for her for fifteen years or longer without being intimate with a woman or a man, depending on which way his interests lay? There was already one wolf that shouldn't have mated with a woman; why not another.

Kal-lape would not be surprised if this shameful intrusion into the life of the wolves and their imprints were done because the elders, Elder Ateara especially wanted to conceal the fact that there was a homosexual wolf among the shapeshifters. Prejudice and ignorance were strong with this specific elder.

But the imprint bond between the homosexual wolf and the young woman was genuine; all the bonds were, just the nature of the bonds varied. It wasn't possible to fake the imprint itself. Imprinting always happened between a male and a female, but the reason for that was unknown. Kal-lape guessed it had something to do with the cosmic duality evident in every aspect of life and beyond. And as such, it had been possible for the elders to trick shapeshifters into thinking that the bond was for mating and mating only, although it couldn't be farther from the truth.

Kal-lape had had enough of watching, but just as he was stepping out of his vantage point, he felt something strong and impenetrable, which kept people inside it safe, and people and forces outside blocked out. Then he realized what it was: Bella and her shield. She was forming a protective shield for the people around her.

It seemed that the marking had made her gift stronger. When Kal-lape had last seen her, he'd felt her shield, but it hadn't been able to block him and his blessings, whereas now that he tried to do the same, it bounced back. Fascinating.

And then he sensed something else: it wasn't just the Young Alpha who had marked his mate, but he too carried the mark of his mate. Extraordinary. Kal-lape hadn't heard something like that happen ever before in the history of La Push shapeshifters. Together the young alpha pair created a force that could keep these people around them safe, but would it be possible to extend over the whole tribe and its land? Would it block cold ones? Would it keep them away? He wondered.

Was this what the wolf had seen in Bella? Had he known that they could save young men from being trapped inside their beasts for the rest of their lives? That was an incredibly forceful thought, and he had a strong feeling he was right. The bond between these two was possibly the strongest ever formed between a Quileute shapeshifter and his mate.

And looking at them, he could actually see it. The love and strength they shared were powerful. The lovebirds were oblivious to this, making it even more compelling.

Kal-lape cleared his head and made his presence known.

"May the Spirits bless and protect you, the true honorable alpha of La Push Spirit Warriors and your marked mate," he said as he stepped out of the shadows.

Silence fell over the crowd of people as every head turned to look at him. Young Alpha had an amused expression on his face, and he nodded. He had his arms protectively around his mate, who watched him smiling. "Good evening, Kal-lape. Nice to see you again," she said.

Everybody turned to look at the alpha pair. Elder Ateara was the first to recover. "Who are you? And what are you doing here?" he asked.

"I'm Kal-lape, the medicine man and the lore-keeper and a shapeshifter of Karuk Uley's pack dating back to the end of the 1880s."

People around gasped, gaping at him. Harry Clearwater was sniggering and enjoying the scene unfolding in front of him. He lifted his beer bottle to salute him, and Kal-lape nodded.

Now everybody turned to look at the Elder Clearwater, who just grinned widely. Elder Black was looking rather sick. Elder Sue Clearwater was staring at Kal-lape with fascination whispering something to her husband, who nodded.

"You are not seriously thinking we believe you?" Ateara challenged him.

"Whether you believe me or not is not a matter of any importance. I'm not here to make myself known to you or stay around here longer than necessary. I'm here tonight to release this pack from the spell you Elder Ateara have cast over them and to perform the blessing of the new mated and marked alpha pair."

Everybody started to talk at once.

"Marked?"

"Spelled?"

"Who is this weirdo?"

"What the hell is he talking about?"

"Silence!" Ateara shouted. "You have the nerve to come here and accuse me of doing something that isn't in the best interest of the Spirit Warriors of La Push and the tribe. How dare you? We don't need you ..."

"Yes, we do!" Ateara was interrupted by the Young Alpha. He'd gotten up and was shooting daggers at The Elder.

"Kal-lape was the one who was able to help Bella out of her coma when the modern medicine and the several hundred years of medical experience of the leech doctor failed her," he said. Apart from Elder Clearwater, no one else had known about his involvement in Bella's recovery. "Kal-lape knows something is still off with the pack, or rather with the imprinting, and he is helping us take control over our pack, our own lives! Is that understood?" The alpha timber echoed around the fire.

People around it nodded, and Elder Ateara didn't utter another word. He was looking pale. One of the imprints started to sob silently. And Kal-lape was feeling for the girl and her wolf; they'd been deceived into believing they were mates when the true nature of their imprint bond was something else. Kal-lape hoped his help hadn't come too late for these two.

Her wolf whispered something to her. She nodded and wiped her tears. Save them for later, Kal-lape thought somberly. So much heartache because of these bigoted, evil, prejudiced, selfish, and simply heartless old men. He trembled with anger.

"Elder Black, go and get your daughter the former imprint of the Young Alpha here. She needs to be present for the purification."

"Purification, what the hell is that?" Ateara piped in before the Elder Black had time to react. He was visibly agitated, and for a good reason; he knew his deception was going to be revealed.

"You'll see soon enough," Kal-lape answered.

"Is it necessary for Rachel to be here?" Black asked. "She has suffered enough. Why would she have to come here and watch the love of her life be with another woman?"

"She's suffered enough?!" the Young Alpha shouted. "For fuck's sake. She tried to kill Bella, she strangled her, and she would be dead if not rescued by our mortal enemy. Suffered enough, my ass. She should be in jail for what she did!" Young Alpha was trembling and would probably have phased on the spot if his mate hadn't calmed him down. She took his hand and squeezed it. That simple little gesture calmed the beast, and he sat down, wrapping his arms around his mate and pressing his face against her neck.

"She will be punished for what she's done," Kal-lape said. "It's essential that all the people affected by the spell are here. You caused her suffering yourself, Elder Black, and Elder Ateara. You made her believe that Young Alpha was hers to have when it was obvious that they were not meant to be together for anybody with seeing eyes."

"But they imprinted with each other," the imprint of the bloodline alpha stated.

"Yes, but you've been fooled to believe that the imprint is always that of a romantic nature for making a new generation of spirit warriors. But it's not always the case; imprinting is much more than just a mating imperative. It would be right to say that it is anything but."

"That cannot be true! You must be lying," the bloodline alpha shouted. Many of the wolves and their imprints nodded their heads, wanting to believe their packmate.

"I have no reason to lie. And you'll come to know the truth by the time I'm finished with you."

He raised his hand to stop the uproar that was boiling. Everyone around the fire sensed no point in arguing with him and didn't say anything else.

"And it is beside the point," he continued, "that he imprinted. Was it truly a mating bond or something else? We will never know; the bond, once broken, is lost forever, but the Young Alpha here made it very clear from the beginning that he would not settle for anything less than having the right to choose his mate. After he started to ask about marking, the elders here knew what he was: a true alpha. At this point, the spell had already been cast, and every imprint was forced to seem like a mating bond. But the true alpha wasn't buying it and wouldn't give up."

"Now, I really don't know who you think you are..." Elder Ateara started, but Kal-lape didn't have any patience for his pretense.

"You have done enough harm for the pack and the tribe. If I were you, I would shut my mouth and hope that I will still be accepted as a part of this tribe after the sun sets tonight."

Elder Ateara deflated in front of his eyes and sagged down on his chair.

"Why would he do such a thing?" one imprint asked.

"To control you and have power over you. To make you stay here, make pure-blooded children."

While they waited for Elder Black and his daughter to arrive, Kal-lape opened his bag and took out one big cup and a big bottle containing the potion for all the pack and imprint to drink. He placed the bottle and the cup on the log behind him. Then he took out a pouch containing the cleansing herbs.

Elder Black and his daughter arrived. The young woman looked tired and haunted; the broken imprint caused that. Imprint bond had never been broken so violently before in the history of La Push shapeshifters. And only a few times at all. On those few occasions, it was done under the watchful eyes of the medicine man and the elders. They took care of the imprint and helped her over the loss of the bond. But poor Rachel Black was left to her own devices, and she wasn't coping with it. It was a miracle she was still alive.

"Before we start with the ritual," Kal-lape said and looked at the people around the fire. He had their undivided attention. "I'll tell you a little story. It is a story of a true alpha. His name was Karuk Uley; he was the alpha of my pack, the pack that existed before Ephraim Black's pack."

"He was my great great great grandfather, wasn't he?" the Former alpha asked.

"Yes, he was. His story is similar to your Young Alpha. He fell in love with a woman he wanted for himself, and she wanted him, but then he imprinted with another. He refused to accept the imprint bond since it was that for mating, and that is always the sign of a true alpha; only true alpha can choose his mate over imprinting meant for mating. Karuk Uley broke the imprint but ensured that the woman he refused was taken care of. After the imprint was helped to heal, she found the love of her life, and Karuk lived a happy and long life with his chosen mate."

Everybody was listening to him, not uttering even a whisper.

"You see, when the imprint is denied, it needs to be treated with the utmost care, and the elders have a vital role to play in this with a medicine man, but Rachel Black was left alone to cope with something she wasn't able to handle alone. Instead of giving her what she needed, you fed her with lies that young Lahote would come around and couldn't fight the imprint, and in the end, they would become a mated pair. You knew this Elder Black, yet you let it happen; you even encouraged it. For you, it was more important to get your son to fulfill his heritage and become the alpha, as he'll also be the chief someday; as such, he would have been the most powerful man in this tribe. And for that, you were ready to sacrifice your daughter's health and happiness."

Elder Black looked mortified, and he bowed his head in shame without saying a word.

"And I think this is why you, Elder Ateara, and Elder Black took the journal of Karuk Uley, so no one would get to know about the formed pack where the alpha had chosen his mate, and more than one of the imprints was another than for mating."

Neither of them denied this.

"Throughout history, the same motives have driven people: love, hate, passion, hunger for power. You, Elder Black, wanted your son to walk the path of your father, and you, Elder Ateara, couldn't stand the fact that a man whose father had stolen and ruined the woman you loved became the alpha. Petty reasons to interfere with these people's lives. It is because of you that Rachel Black almost succeeded in killing another human being. It is because of you that the pack members almost ended up killing each other. You caused the havoc and destruction. You are fools. You didn't understand what you were doing; otherwise, you wouldn't have dreamed of doing it. You underestimated the reasons why imprinting happens. The strength and harmony the imprinting brings to the shapeshifters are essential for them, and to interfere causes far-reaching problems. But luckily, one of you was wise and saw the destruction you were causing, and he came to me. Elder Harry Clearwater saved the pack and the tribe. And now you have the most powerful alpha pair in history."

Interestingly, neither of the elders didn't even try to deny his words.

"What do you mean?" Ateara finally spoke. "She's a pale face, howkat, how she can be "powerful". She has no reason to be here, and she doesn't know our heritage, our ways. Her ancestors killed us and took our lands from us. She also was the reason the cold ones came back here, and it triggered the phasing for at least six of the pack," Elder Ateara shouted, hate and loathing visible in his face.

Young Alpha was growling.

"Your prejudice makes you blind, Elder Ateara. You would see that she is a powerful shield if you wouldn't hate her so much."

"A shield? What are you talking about?" Elder Sue Clearwater asked.

"She is a mental shield. She can block all kinds of physical and mental powers. She was immune to the cold one's allure, which is the only reason she is still alive today. But she was able to block my blessing just before I came here. She wasn't just shielding herself, but all of you. Together they can protect you and your tribe against cold ones."

"But I don't know what I'm doing or how I'm doing it," Bella said.

"And that is the best part: you don't have to know when to use it; it activates when needed and how it is needed."

"Are you saying that Bella needs to stay here in the Res to protect us? I don't think so," Young Alpha said, visibly shaking.

"Of course, it is okay for the rest of us to stay here forever, but your precious Bella should have all the freedom in the world," the imprint of the bloodline alpha piped in. A stupid little girl.

Before Young Alpha had time to blow up, Kal-lape lifted his hand to silence everybody.

"It's not like that. Bella's shield helps you all to have more freedom in your life. None of you needs to stay here all the time for the rest of your life. The alpha pair's shield is strong enough to keep cold ones from entering the tribal lands. The Cullens had left, so there won't be any more curious by-passers. And the way the shield affects it makes this area less intriguing for them. Don't take me wrong, the tribe still needs you, shapeshifters. But your role isn't only that a protector against cold ones but also a protector of the tribe's heritage and its customs. You are protectors of the lifestyle distinctive to La Push and its people. Learn the language, read the history, and be proud of what you are. And kill any cold one who comes too close. But I will bet my last pair of the socks my late wife knitted to me that you won't come across another cold one around here."

Everybody was stunned into silence.

"Okay. Back to the reason, I'm here and why you are here. I take it that all of you drank something Elder Atera gave you right after you phased?"

The wolves looked around, nodding their heads, including Young Alpha.

"You will drink from this," Kal-lape lifted the cup above his head, "and you will be set free."

"But what if we don't want to? How can we be sure you're not trying to poison us," one of the wolves asked.

"Why would you want to live in a lie? If your imprint bond isn't what it is meant to be, you won't be happy together." Kal-lape looked at the wolves. He wasn't speaking to anybody precisely when he said, "if you are honest with yourself, the ones who aren't supposed to be mated, you know it. Deep down, you know."

Several imprints started to cry, and their wolves looked somber in trying to comfort them. They all were confused, not sure what to believe anymore. And Kal-lape couldn't blame them.

Elder Black had the decency to look embarrassed and repent, but Elder Ateara had a contemptuous look on his face; maybe he was hoping that Kal-lape's ritual wouldn't be able to break the spell he'd cast over these people.

Young Alpha pulled his mate closer to him and kissed her head. She had her eyes closed beautiful smile on her face. It was hard to say what she might be thinking; she was an enigma to him. Kal-lape had heard from Elder Clearwater how the pack had treated her. Even those who used to be her friends. How did she feel to be here around all these people?

"I give you my word that Kal-lape is trustworthy, and he is here to heal what has been broken by ill will," Elder Harry Clearwater said.

Kal-lape took the cup.

"The spirits will help you see clearly your imprint's true nature. No matter the truth, the person sitting next to you is the most important in your life. You will be there for each other no matter what happens after you drink from this. There is no reason to be afraid."

He could sense the nervousness, the fear, the sadness around him. And it would get much worse before it would start to get better.

He gave the cup first to the Young Alpha, who took a sip. When his mate offered to take the cup from him, he shook his head and gave it to the next wolf. Bella didn't have anything to do with the spell, so it was the right choice not to give it to her. But it didn't go unnoticed, and one of the wolves asked, "why is Bella not drinking?"

"She's not part of this. She's not an imprint or a wolf," Young Alpha said, and the look in his eyes told it was the end of the discussion.

After the pack, imprints, and Rachel had drunk from the cup, Kal'lape turned his face towards the heavens and started singing chants while throwing herbs into the flames. The fire hissed, and green smoke surrounded everybody sitting by the fire. He sang in ancient Quileute, a language as old as time.

He asked the spirit to purify the souls, give back what was taken away, and bless all the shapeshifters and their imprints with a long and happy life. For the poor girl who had lost her imprint and was left alone to cope with the loss, he asked for forgiveness and strength to find a new direction in her life. For the alpha pair, he asked wisdom, happiness, and long life.

When the green smoke changed its color back to normal greyish, the purification was done. Kal-lape closed his eyes, and ominous silence fell over the people around the fire. Kal-lape knew it wouldn't last long.

Then the silence was pierced by a heartbreaking scream.