Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer, not me.

Author/Note 1: This story is the sequel to Our Dawn 5. For the ones who don't know anything about Our Dawn Series, you can always read Our Dawn 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, and Our Dawn Series Specials but if you don't want to bother I have a resume on my profile page. As it would be expected this is a next generation story and as such, it's focused on Jake and Leah's children.

A/Note 2: A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed Our Dawn Series so far.

A/Note 3: I'm not a native English speaker so I'm sorry for my grammar and spelling. Thank you for reading.

Alpha

Book III – The Challenger

William Black

58. Roaches

"You have to engage with the others Rhea. Or Emmett will get you and when a vamp gets you, you're pretty much dead." I heard Uncle Embry tell Rhea during the practice.

"She's not ready," Jasper said next to me. "And she won't be in the next weeks... maybe even months."

"It's harder for her and Quinn because they can't share minds with the others." I tried to support Rhea.

"Yes, but Quinn is holding on pretty well for a new wolf."

"Who would you take to battle if we had to fight right now?"

"Isaac." Jasper didn't even hesitate. "He's making progress every day and he knows how to lead a pack."

"What about Jay and EJ?" I asked with curiosity.

"Jay's learning fast too but he's lost without Isaac's leadership. As for your cousin..."

Jasper couldn't finish his sentence because, in that moment, Uncle Embry was yelling at EJ like a mad man.

EJ was impulsive and he rarely followed orders. Sometimes his improvised attacks were successful but other times he ended up putting all of the other wolves at risk.

"I told you to stay close to Danny!" Uncle Embry roared. "Your brother would've died if we were facing the Volturi!"

Due to EJ's lack of judgment and reckless actions, Emmett had been able to attack Danny who ended up with a broken ankle.

"Your cousin has a lot to learn," Jasper stated. "He knows how to fight and he can keep up with you or your father's pack, but he's reckless and stubborn and that can get him killed."

"Rhea! Watch your left flank! No! The other left!" Uncle Embry warned.

Before Rhea could turn around to protect herself, Emmett sent her flying against a huge tree. She winced in pain, making me feel the urge to help her and beat the crap out of Emmett, but I knew now that I shouldn't overprotect Rhea. She needed to learn how to defend herself even if that meant she'd have to feel a little pain in the process.

"She's worried about too many things," I told Jasper who was still paying attention to everyone's moves in order to correct their flaws.

"Well, I advise you to help her clear her mind because in two weeks things are going to get rough."

If only things were that easy. When I caught Rhea two days ago, throwing Art's engagement ring into the ocean, I thought Rhea was finally getting closure but things didn't change after that. She was still insecure about us, she was still refusing to contact her family, and she was still scared to participate in the training sessions with Uncle Embry and Jasper.

"I tried to talk to her about everything but she is clearly shutting me down

and I don't know how to help her because apparently, she doesn't want my help."

"Then talk to her about your problems. Sometimes reverse psychology works." Jasper smiled and he went to correct Jay's defensive stance.

After the morning practice, everyone went home to have a shower, a good meal, and some rest before the evening session. When Rhea finished her bath, I told her we were going out.

"Where are we going?" She asked while getting inside the car. "I hate surprises."

"We're going to have lunch together."

"Why?" She watched me suspiciously. "I don't think I'm supposed to go out in public much less to a place where there are dozens of people that I can accidentally hurt."

"I'm going to be with you the whole time. You won't hurt anyone."

"In that case, I hope you have enough money to pay the bill because I'm starving."

"Sure, sure." I grinned.

I should have planned this carefully because this was actually the first time Rhea and I were going out but I'd never been one to plan things.

Rhea was a bit uncomfortable because this sounded a lot like a date, I could feel her heartbeat and her anxiety increasing as we were leaving La Push. To have lunch in a place at Forks was too risky so I took her to Port Angeles where the chances of meeting someone from La Push were close to zero.

The first restaurant we saw was too big and too expensive for my wallet so I kept driving until I reached a place called Real Graphics. It was a nice and cozy coffee shop, and most of its customers were young students from the Institute next door.

"I know you were probably expecting something fancier but we need to be discreet."

Rhea nodded. We walked inside and chose a table next to the window in the back of the room. A young girl came to take our orders and after writing down everything we had asked on a small notebook she went to the kitchen.

"I feel like I'm a lousy alpha," I confessed. "And I'm honestly sorry that you're going through this."

Rhea looked at me surprised.

"You're not a lousy alpha." She said.

"Are you kidding?" I laughed. "You should see my father leading his pack or even Isaac. They're definitely better than me."

"That's because they have bigger packs." She said matter-of-factly. "You're not a bad alpha."

"I've never wanted things to happen like this."

"Like what?"

"That night when I claimed you, I didn't know what I was doing. My wolf obviously knew that you also had the gene and he took advantage of my feelings for you... but I never meant to take your choices away. I got a bit scared and I guess it took me too long to decide to go and talk to you. When I finally went to your place you were already gone."

"Why are you talking about this now?"

"Because I want to apologize. You're in this mess because of me. I should've let you go when you told me you were engaged. It's my fault that you had to break up with Art, and it's my fault that you can't be with your family. I'm really sorry for that."

In that moment the waitress arrived with our food. Rhea waited for her to leave before speaking again.

"You're right. I broke up with Art and I threw his six-thousand-dollar ring into the ocean because of you. But it wasn't your fault, it was mine."

"You don't have to nice to me."

"I'm not being nice. From the moment I saw you at old Quil's memory service I knew that I would never love Art because I was still in love with you. Your brother tried to warn me, he asked me if I had feelings for you after all these years and I foolishly denied. I was fooling myself but I'm not going to pretend anymore." She confessed. "I'm in love with you William, and I'm your mate but that doesn't mean I'm going to be taken for granted. As for my family, I'm the one hesitating. I'll go see my mother when I'm ready."

I let a few minutes pass.

"Are you scared?" I asked.

"About what?"

"The battle."

"I'd be lying if I said no but I have a feeling that everything's going to be okay."

Dad once told me that a woman's intuition should always be taken into account.

"So, do you have any piece of advice on how to fight like Isaac or EJ?" Rhea asked me.

"It helps when you can talk between yourselves, but since you can only communicate with me via mind-link, I think you'll have to learn how to read their movements."

"That sounds hard work."

"I can teach you."

"Okay. When can we start?"

"Whenever you like."

We spoke about other things while we had lunch, which was rather long because Rhea ordered more food when she finished the first hamburger with fries. Fortunately, I had brought all of my savings otherwise I wouldn't have been able to pay.

"I never thought I would say this, but I'm glad I can't get fat. Your mother told me I would have more appetite but this is insane."

"It's normal. Our metabolism works faster than normal, so we also burn calories faster and that's why we're always hungry."

Rhea nodded.

"What do you say if we go back to La Push and I start teaching how to read your opponent's moves?"

"It sounds like a plan."

Rhea held my hand as we were leaving the small coffee shop and for the first time in many months, my wolf was in peace.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Are you kidding me?" I asked Jasper. He was leaving the mansion to train the younger wolves. "What the hell just happened?"

"Don't shoot the messenger, kid." He replied. "I'm just passing on information. If you want more details about what's happening, go to my sister. She's in her bedroom."

Early in the morning Jasper had phoned summoning me to meet Rose at their house. Apparently, they had news from the Makah Police Force. They were going to drop all of the charges against Tom Harding because Bill Bull had just committed suicide in his prison cell.

"Is it true?" I asked.

"I'm afraid so. Rosalie and Bella are trying to find a way to stop this but..."

"But what? The guy is a fucking maniac! He ordered someone to fucking shoot me!"

"Calm down, Will. Go talk to my sister and don't phase in the house. I'll see you later."

Rosalie was walking back and forth in her bedroom, dressed in a pink training outfit. There were papers scattered all over the bed and floor. Bella was sitting down on a chair surrounded by documents. The computer on the desk, in front of the window, was on.

"Rose, how the hell did this happen?"

She looked at me furiously. "How the fuck should I know?" She yelled.

"Rosalie, don't take it out on the boy. It's not his fault." Bella said.

"I know. It's those freaking cops' fault! They're working with Tom, I'm positive."

"Working with him?"

"Tom sells all sort of illegal shit," Rose said. "And he's smuggling drugs into the country too."

"Inside bullets like the one Bill Bull used on you," Bella added. "The drug came from Colombia and we're sure he has many partners working with him, however, it's almost impossible that the local authorities aren't taking part in this business."

"So what do you suggest? To investigate all of the agents working there?"

"That would take too long," Rose stated. "If they want war, I'll give them one."

Rosalie left hurriedly with her cellphone in hand.

"Where the hell is she going?" I asked.

Bella shrugged. "I'm sure you'll know soon enough."

"Did Bill Bull really commit suicide?"

"I don't think so. But someone did force him to do it."

"He was in jail... surrounded by guards all of the time."

"Another reason for us to consider that Tom has people working for him," Bella explained. "He knew Bill was going to testify against him so he took measures."

"And now he can go back home and keep on threatening Season and Hannah."

"And you."

"He's not going to shoot me again. I won't give him that chance."

"There's a way to prove that the bullets the police found in Bill's house came from Tom. We just need a little time so don't do anything stupid."

"If Tom Harding sets foot in La Push, I'll kill him," I said. "And I'm not joking."

If the police were involved like Bella and Rose were thinking, then it would be hard to prove that the bullets filled with drugs belonged to Tom Harding and not Bill Bull. We could only prove this if we could find the dirty police officer too.

I had to find Tom Harding and get rid of him for good and I had to do it in less than seven days. I knew Rose would be pissed about me taking the matter into my own hands but I was growing impatient. This guy was a damn roach. It looked like no one could put him down.

I had a plan. And that was saying a lot. I was a man of action who rarely wasted time planning things but I needed a plan to make sure Tom would never think about hurting Season again. I admit that murder did cross my mind, however, things could get pretty dangerous for us if Tom was found dead in some alley. Besides, there was something called moral values that my parents had thought me and to my surprise, I still had some.

In the end, my plan consisted mainly in scaring the crap out of Tom. That required a wolf that could face him directly without feeling the need to bite his head off. I was excluded almost immediately. Besides I wanted to stay in human form to watch Tom's reaction and to warn him about the consequences if he didn't follow my advice.

I couldn't ask anyone from dad's pack to help me because they wouldn't approve and they would rat me out to dad. EJ was too impulsive; Danny and Jay were too permissive; Isaac was too righteous and I didn't want to involve Quinn since he also lived in the Makah Reservation and probably knew Tom.

"So let me get this straight... You want me to go with you to the Makah Reservation to find the guy who presumably hired a man to shoot your brother yet ended up shooting you by mistake. A man that is being chased by the police for several alleged crimes and who's always been able to escape prison because supposedly there's a dirty cop working with him. This man is obsessed with Harry's girlfriend and now that the police officers are going to drop the case, you want to make sure he'll never get near the girl or her family." Rhea resumed what I had just told her. She was my only option. She wasn't as big as the boys so she could hide better than anyone else and she would definitely follow my orders since I was her alpha.

"Yes, it's pretty much it. My plan isn't perfect but it's the only one I have. Just don't forget that you'll have to show yourself to him in wolf form, and maybe chew one of his legs or something... Just for emphasis, you know?"

She was livid.

"Are you out of your mind?" Rhea almost yelled. "I'm pretty sure your mother told me we're not allowed to hurt humans. It's against our purpose... whatever our purpose is,"

"To chew someone's leg isn't a death sentence," I argued. "Dogs do it all the time... Gunnar bit my hand one day and I survived."

"You're superhuman. That man is not. He can die."

That would be nice. I thought.

"That man tried to rape Harry's girlfriend and paid a man to kill my brother!" Maybe I was overreacting a little bit but Rhea needed a boost. "He's been after her for years. He's a scumbag who sells weapons and drugs and if he doesn't get what he wants, he'll go after Season's family."

"You mean Hannah?"

"Yes, I mean Hannah, and her three little girls, and also Season's brother Ryan and her sister Norah," I stated. "They're just kids. So... what do you say? You can bite his leg softly... just draw a few drops of blood so he gets the picture."

"You're insane, Will."

"Fine... you don't have to bite him. Just scare the crap out of him. I guess that'll work too,"

Eventually, Rhea accepted to help me. I could be persuasive sometimes.

"So, how are you going to find him?"

"All I need is a piece of clothing with his scent and then... Tom will learn his lesson!"

My plan did suffer a few setbacks. It had been three days since Cristine Spears' funeral and Josh was gone. His phone wasn't working and his house was empty. He didn't leave a note or send a text message. Gary and his wife Skye had seen him in the morning when they went to collect Aileen and Aimee. He hadn't been seen since then.

Dad pondered to send someone to find him but he feared that Josh wouldn't take it so well. He was hurting and he probably needed some time to clear his head.

Upon knowing their father was missing, Aileen and Aimee didn't stop crying. They had lost their mother three days ago and now they had also been abandoned by their remaining parent. Both girls refused to stay with Gary and made a scene when he said he was going to take them to their grandparents.

It happened that Aileen and Aimee had witnessed their grandparents arguing with their father during Cristine's funeral and they resented them ever since. Finally, Gary suggested that Quinn should stay with the girls in Josh's house until his return.

Neither Aileen nor Aimee knew much about Quinn, they didn't even know Quinn was their older brother, yet both girls seemed quite attached to the young wolf. However to babysit two children for a couple of hours was different from staying with them for a couple of days or even weeks. Quinn liked his sisters but he was only nineteen years old plus he had training sessions he couldn't miss.

I was the one who came up with the solution: Aileen and Aimee were going to join Quinn at the Vacant House.

It was a pretty good idea, especially because as soon as the girls arrived, they began laughing and playing around with Hannah's children. The problems regarding their missing father momentarily disappeared. However having two more children in the house meant less free time for the adults, more noise, and constant vigilance.

That's why Rhea and I were only able to leave the Vacant House after 10 p.m. to finally fulfill my plan.

"Do you know where Tom Harding lives?" Rhea asked when we were leaving La Push in my car. We would get to the Makah Reservation faster on four legs but if we phased we would be detected since dad was on patrol right now.

"Tom doesn't have a home. He lives with the women he sleeps with until he dumps them, he has a room in his sister's house and apparently, he sometimes spends the nights with the mother of his two kids. That's where we're going first."

"Why?"

"Because his sister's house was recently searched by the local police and they found nothing there and because it was the only address I was actually able to get."

We left the car before entering the Reservation, proceeding on foot. According to the information, Alice had provided me, Cheryl Goodman lived in a small cottage not far from Ella's grandparents. We approached the house quietly and waited. Cheryl was placing her children in bed but the little boy was throwing a tantrum because he wanted to watch television.

"Spoiled little brat," I muttered. "Our kids won't be nothing like this."

"Our kids?" Rhea asked looking at me intently.

"It's not a priority right now," I said a bit uncomfortably. This was a sensitive subject because as my mate, Rhea was supposed to be the one bearing my children but she had recently been told that for the moment she was barren and would stay like that for the next two years until her wolf reached maturity.

"I don't remember saying I wanted to have kids with you."

"I'm sorry... I just got carried away..."

"You're taking me for granted again, Will."

"You said you're in love with me so I assumed..."

"You shouldn't have assumed anything." She cut me off. "You didn't even ask me out on a date yet and you're already talking about kids! Be a little more sensitive, William."

"Let's go out then. How about tomorrow? We can go watch a movie or something."

Rhea crossed her arms over her chest and glared at me. She was cute when she was angry.

"Just because the legends are real and we were paired up together doesn't mean I'm going to submit to you and live the life the old Spirits chose for me. I rule my destiny, not them!"

I understood Rhea's frustration. It seemed that the old legends were way more beneficial for men than for women. As far as I knew, women only phased when the alpha male needed a mate and from the moment she morphed her destiny was sealed. As alpha female of a pack, it would be her job to stay by her mate's side, be claimed by him and bear his children.

"Stubbornness won't get you anywhere," I said. "But apparently it's a feature all alpha females must have."

"You think I'm being stubborn?" She asked astonished.

"You like me and I like you... the old Spirits have nothing to do with this. So why is it so wrong to assume we're going to have kids together?"

Rhea didn't answer my question because in that moment we heard the sound of a car leaving the cottage.

"Let's go!" I said, preparing myself to phase.

"Aren't we going to search the house so you can pick up some of Tom's clothes to be able to follow his scent?"

"I don't need his clothes anymore. Cheryl is going to take us to him."

"How do you know?"

"Why would a woman put her children to bed and leave at almost 11 p.m. if not to see the man she loves?"

Rhea nodded and a few minutes later we were running amongst the trees, following the red Hyundai that Cheryl was driving.

'I always thought Tom would hide somewhere deep within the forest but Cheryl's going to the coast.'

'I guess he has better chances of escaping if he's near the ocean.' Rhea answered my thoughts.

She was right. The ocean's proximity could provide Tom a clear escape if something went wrong. I had to give the man some credit. He was a scumbag, but he was actually quite clever.

In the meantime, the red Hyundai stopped near a cabin a few feet away from an abandoned small port. There were maybe twenty boats in the water, some of them were upside down, a clear indication that they weren't meant to be used ever again.

Covered by the immense vegetation we saw Cheryl leaving the car and following the pier until reaching the last boat moored onto the dock. The Tempest was probably the biggest and less damaged boat in the port. Painted in white and red, her deck showed no signs of life but then, Cheryl jumped on board and disappeared down into the vessel's lower deck.

'We found him. Now what?'

'Now we wait.'

Tom and Cheryl fought for a while, then they had sex, and finally, Cheryl left the boat after giving Tom some money and a bag of food and drinks. I gave Tom a few minutes to put on some clothes and have a drink, and then I phased back and went to get him.

He never really understood what hit him.

"Why can't we just take him to the police?" Rhea asked watching me carrying an unconscious Tom through the forest. He had his hands and feet tied up.

"I can't trust the police. They might be helping him."

"You think the police is helping a criminal?"

"It wouldn't be the first time," I said. "Do you remember what I told you?"

"Yes. I'm going to hide among the trees and I'll come out only when you call me."

"Exactly."

"Are you sure about this William?"

"Do you want Hannah and her children to suffer because of this creep?" Rhea nodded negatively. She had become quite attached to Hannah. "Then yes, I'm sure about this."

Tom woke up a few minutes later. He had a bleeding lip and a broken tooth.

"Hello there. I think we were never formally introduced, I'm..."

"I know who you are, you motherfucker!" Tom spat acidly, spitting some blood. "Untie me right now!"

"Or what?"

"Or you won't live long."

"You've tried to kill me once and you failed miserably."

"Untie me!" He roared.

"You can scream all you like, no one will hear to you." I grinned. "Now, let's get to business. You leave Season and Hannah Marsh alone, and their respective families, and I will allow you to live your pitiful life in peace. It sounds a fair deal, doesn't it?"

"I want you to shove your deal up your ass, boy!"

"Stubbornness won't take you anywhere. This doesn't have to be like this, Tom."

"No, it doesn't. The charges against me are going to be dropped so let me go and give me back the girl. And then, maybe I'll let you get away with this."

"Are you hard of hearing? Season will never be with you, got it?"

"Come on boy, don't tell me you've fallen for her..." He laughed. "She's a beauty and she can make a man go crazy for her but she's also a liar and a thief. She's only using you. The moment she realizes she doesn't need you, she'll dump you like she did with the others."

He thinks I'm Harry. I thought amused. Well, let's give Harry a nice reputation.

"Season is with me now." I taunted him. "And you can't do anything about it."

"Her mother is a whore, and she's a whore too. You'll realize that when she leaves you in the gutter. I'll be waiting for her then. Because she will come crawling like the little whore she is, and she will open her legs to me and beg me to take her back. Then I'm going to fuck her senseless day and night until she..."

The sound of a broken nose echoed in the forest. Tom grunted in pain as his nose bled.

"Son of a bitch! I'm going to kill you!" He yelled furiously. "Fight me like a man!"

"Last warning Tommy," I mocked. "Season's with me and there's nothing you can do about it. If I see you or one of you lackeys anywhere near her or her family, I will come after you and gut you like the pig you are!"

"You have no idea who you're messing with, boy!"

"Actually, you're the one who has no idea who you're messing with!" I shot back. Tom started to laugh hysterically.

I kept my cool and signaled Rhea to leave the coverage of the trees. She was the smallest wolf of all of the packs combined but she was still impressive. Tom stopped laughing when he saw the huge gray wolf in front of him. Rhea did what we had agreed. She let Tom see her white teeth and then she growled menacingly. I had to stop myself from laughing as I watched Tom's face contort in fear.

"Isn't she a beauty too?" I commented.

He was mute.

"Stay away from Season and her family or I'll make sure you and my friend here will get really acquainted. Understood?"

xxxxxxxxxx

It was not uncommon for me to wake up in unfamiliar places. Lately, I had been spending the nights in the forest or in the woods outside the Vacant House. Things were different today.

"Do you ever think about how things could've been different if you had told me you loved me instead of humiliating me eight years ago?" Rhea asked. I could feel her bare skin against mine under the sheets.

"Yes, sometimes I do," I confessed. Last night we had returned to La Push late at night and Rhea had asked me to stay with her. We came to her bedroom and talked about many things but after a couple of hours, we got tired of talking.

"What's going to happen now?" Rhea asked me.

"All I know is that I'm going to make it up to you for all the pain I caused you in the past," I told her. "I don't have the fancy ring or an apartment in Seattle but I'll try to make you happy."

"Are you proposing to me, William Black?" Rhea sat down and pulled the sheet with her to cover up her upper body.

"Do you want me to propose to you?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I haven't even told my mother I broke up with Art. Besides... you mother hates me."

"No, she doesn't."

"She told me I was better off with Art."

"She's just being stubborn. It's your aunt she hates. As soon as she gets to know you, she'll love you the same way I do."

Rhea blushed a little and I took that chance to pull her back into my arms.

"Besides, she knows you're my mate," I added.

Rhea shifted uncomfortably.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing... It's just that I'm not used to this... reality yet."

"You mean you're not used to the wolf inside of you, right?"

"Yes." She admitted. "I've heard the legends and I think I understand why we exist but it's not easy to accept that you're not one hundred percent human. Besides your mother told me a lot of weird stuff..."

"Like what?"

Rhea shifted again.

"She told you about the heating season, didn't she?"

She nodded.

"I want to be a mother someday but I don't want to have a child just because the wolf inside of me goes into heat."

"I understand," I said. "But I have to tell you that I want a big family."

"How big?"

"I want to have more than three kids." I teased.

"You're crazy!" She sat down again. This time she grabbed her t-shirt and began to get dressed. "Get up, you need to go."

"Come on..." I whined. "This was the first time we actually spent the night together and you're kicking me out?"

"I'm just telling you that you have to go."

"I was joking. It doesn't matter how many children we have, as long as we're both happy." I smiled. "Please come back to the bed."

"I have things to do."

"You don't have to go train with my uncle, you can train with me."

"I don't think our training would be very productive."

"It depends on what you're training for." I grinned.

"I want to go see my mother today," Rhea said firmly.

"Do you need company?" I offered.

"No. But there's one thing I need your help with." Rhea put on her jeans and removed something from the bedside table's top drawer.

"Your uncle told me I should cut my hair." She said handing me the scissors. "Just make it quick, before I change my mind."

Thanks for the reviews: Guest(s), CentaurPrincess, brankel1, MelkiSihou, Island Mama, Weave the Magic, Kary G, almondbutter, rocklesson86, TheSlytherinQueenbee, nikkieowens, nene82743, Deadman'sGun, bonzgirl, Jazzmatazz30, sia-gomo01, FangsandDaggers, Sagal Farah, chemistrykim, Daughter of the earth, Gizmo60, EvangellaAkriti, Sarah Blackwater, lory77, Beauty Eclipsed, tcpg02, Aiyanna Clearwater, Ebble, riskingit.

I'd also like to thank all the followers of this story and all the readers who added it to their favorites list. Thank you.

Karisan