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
Interlude
Sarah Black
60. Bold Move - part 2
Dana took a seat in a chair in the kitchen. She never took her eyes off of me while I prepared two hot chocolates for us to drink. She was soaked but she didn't seem to care. I wondered if she was cold in those wet clothes but if she was she never mentioned it and I was too curious about her presence to waste time fetching her dry clothes to wear.
"Do we know each other?" I asked placing a cup on the table in front of her. "Because I actually don't remember seeing you around."
"I don't live in La Push." She said taking a sip. "So, no, we never met. But I know your parents and I also know what you want."
"You know what I want?" I asked with surprise. We were strangers. There was no way that girl knew that much about me or my life. Not even all the members of my family knew what I wanted much less a girl I had barely met.
"You want to be like them."
That got my attention.
"What are you talking about?" I tried to fake any interest in her last words.
"You want to be a wolf."
I studied the girl sitting down in front of me. She looked completely normal to me. Her clothes were normal, her hairstyle was normal, her appearance didn't show anything out of the ordinary. Yet she knew about the pack and she knew I wanted to become a wolf.
"You know Rhea? Did she send you here?" It was the only possible explanation. Only Rhea knew about that.
"No. I don't know Rhea. Not personally."
"How do you know about... the wolf gene?"
"I've known for years." She grinned. "Now the real question is: do you want my help or not?"
"Can you make me turn?" I went straight to the point.
"Yes."
"How?"
"There are ways to accelerate the process. The best way to ensure that new wolves join the pack is to make the pack vulnerable first. Vulnerability is the key."
"But someone told me that there are other boys who also carry the gene and they'll probably turn first."
"Maybe they will, maybe they won't. Your father was supposed to be the first of his generation to phase because he's a direct descendant of the alpha before him, yet Samuel Uley was the first one to turn."
"When you said that the pack has to be vulnerable... what did you actually mean?"
"Don't worry about it. No one's going to get hurt. I promise."
"What will you do?"
She grinned again and I felt goosebumps. Whoever this girl was, she was not just a regular teenager. Despite her appearance, she was probably much more than she was revealing.
"Leave that to me."
"What if I don't phase? I mean... even if the pack is vulnerable... Doctor Cullen told me there's no need for another female wolf."
"Doctor Cullen is a filthy leech who knows nothing about the Quileute legends."
I guess Dana didn't like the Cullens much.
"Not only you can become a wolf, you can also become an alpha since you have the same rights as your brothers." She added.
"But I have to be stronger than dad to be an alpha, right?"
"Not necessarily. Most people believe that you have to fight the current alpha wolf to be an alpha too but that's only necessary when you wish to take over his pack. Which is not the case. When you have alpha blood in you, you can just leave your old pack and form a new one."
I immediately thought about Jay. Would he want to be a part of my pack if I became an alpha? Would he leave Isaac's pack to be with me despite his imprinting condition?
"Can a wolf change packs?"
"Of course. Your mother and your uncle did that once. They chose to follow your father instead of Sam Uley."
I felt Dana's eyes boring into mine and I realized then that she knew what I was thinking about. Who I was thinking about.
"The boy has imprinted." She finally said.
"He doesn't love her," I stated almost aggressively.
"An imprint bond is unbreakable."
"That's what everyone tells me but I've recently discovered that an imprint bond doesn't erase all the feelings you had for another person."
"You want to have him in your pack?"
"Yes." I nodded.
"What for?"
"So we can be together."
Dana laughed. It wasn't a mocking laugh, it was an incredulous one.
"What's so funny?"
"Even if he changes packs, he's not yours. He belongs to another person, the only way he could be yours..."
"So there's a way!" I interrupted her. "Tell me how! Please!"
"What do you know about mating, Sarah?"
"Mating? You mean..."
"Yes, I mean the period of time when males and females go into heat and reproduce after having sex."
I felt myself blush a little. I had heard things about mating seasons but it was in school during Biology classes.
"Animals mate. Some have rituals, others don't." I began. "Some mate with the same partner forever, others have a different one each time..."
"Wild wolves mate forever." She said. "Shapeshifters do the same. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
I nodded affirmatively.
If Jay and I mate, we'll be bound together forever.
"But you need to know what mating represents for shapeshifters and only then you can decide if it's worth the risk."
"What risk?"
"A wolf mates to ensure the continuation of its genes. He or she seeks the strongest and best partner to mate with so that their offspring can have more probabilities of surviving. It's an animal instinct that wolf warriors inherited from their animal parts. The perpetuation of the species falls upon the alpha pair, formed by the strongest male and usually the only female in the group. The alpha male might claim the alpha female to prevent competition. So mating and claiming have nothing to do with love."
I felt a lump in my throat. Said like that it sounded raw and animalistic. It was actually pretty horrible to think about it.
"The first male to ever claim a female was your father and the first children born from an alpha pair that ever phased were your twin brothers. Before them no child born from the union of a male and female wolves ever phased. Actually, none has even reached adulthood so you and your brothers are very special. You were also the only children conceived by wolves in human form." Dana paused for a few seconds. "I'm sure you already know that females are rare. They only phase when there are big packs and they phase to be the alpha male's companion."
"Yes... I know that."
"Then you're probably aware that choices are not possible for the alpha pair. When the mating season arrives, they feel attracted to each other and they mate. Because there's only one female in the pack, the alpha male doesn't have a choice but to mate with that female. The same happens for the female. She usually mates with the strongest male, which by default it's always the alpha male, however, if the alpha is unavailable she can mate with the second-strongest male. If all the males available are at the same level she can mate with all of them."
"Are you serious?"
"Very serious. It has happened. Centuries ago the first female to ever phase mated with five different wolves in different occasions. During the ten years she was a wolf, Aylen had ten pregnancies that resulted from consecutive mating seasons and all resulted in children from different fathers. In the end, when she stopped phasing she did manage to reunite with the man she had married when she was only seventeen who was also a wolf and the father of some of her children but while she was a wolf, her animal instincts ruled her."
"So what you're trying to say is that..."
"What I'm trying to get you to understand is that when you phase, you might not be able to choose who you want to be with and when the mating season arrives in about two years after you first transformation, many wolves will want to mate with you. And they won't stop until they have what they want or until you're claimed by a wolf."
"Can an imprinted wolf claim me?"
"I don't know." She admitted. "I think it's possible if he's strong enough to fight the imprint bond."
"He is!" I said. But the truth was that I didn't know.
"Do you know what will happen to you if he's not strong enough?" She pressed. "I'm serious about the mating season, Sarah. All of the non-imprinted wolves will want to mate with you and if you don't take precautions it will happen to you the same that happened to Aylen and a few other females after her."
"I'll get him to choose me," I said stubbornly. "After I become a wolf, I'll have two years to prove him that I'm better for him than Ella."
"Okay. I'll help you but I need something in return."
So she wasn't doing this for free. How naïve of me to think she was helping me out of kindness.
"What is it that you want from me?"
"If you don't succeed, I mean if you fail to get the boy to be with you, I want you to promise that you'll come to me before the mating season begins. Even if your parents are against it. What do you say?"
"I'll have to go to you? Just that?"
"Yes."
"Okay. It's a deal."
"I won't let you break this promise."
I nodded.
"How can I become a wolf?"
"That's easy. Stay close to vampires."
"But the Cullens aren't staying much longer."
"I didn't say anything about the Cullens, did I?" She grinned. "Soon there will be more vampires in the area. Your parents will try to keep you away from the danger so you can be safe, you just have to do the exact opposite."
xxxxxxxxxx
Isaac had told me that it was hard to catch a wolf off guard but Jay was surprised to see me when he entered the living room of his grandparents' house that Friday night and saw me sitting on the couch.
Jay's relationship with his father had always been a little tense. Jay blamed Jason Morris for abandonment and neglect, and so he had asked his grandparents to move back in again a few months ago. Alva and Nathan Morris had not been happy when they learned Jason had a child with a woman they had never met but they didn't blame it on Jay. They were good grandparents to Jay and he respected them.
"I brought you dinner," I said pointing to the paper bags on the table in front of me.
"You didn't have to." He whispered. "Actually you shouldn't be here, Sarah."
"Are you expecting someone?"
My heart sunk when I thought about the possibility of Jay having dinner with his imprint. Their first romantic dinner.
"No, I'm going out. I'm having dinner with dad, Drew, and Jordan."
"Oh..." I let out a sigh. "I never thought I'd hear you say that."
"He's been trying to help me understand all of this... wolf-thing and... I figured that having dinner with him once in a while was the least I could do."
Jason was trying to mend things between him and his oldest son, and he knew that a dinner with Jordan was a pretty good incentive for Jay because Jay loved his little brother more than anyone else.
Everyone was surprised when Jay went to visit Drew after Jordan was born. They were expecting Jay to act with indifference and coldness towards his stepmother and her child. After all, Jordan would be competing with Jay for Jason's attention, but Jay asked to hold his newborn brother and he whispered that he would not let Jason fail him as a father. He would make sure of it.
That was three years ago. And Jay kept his promise so far.
"And you get to see Jordan."
"Yes. I haven't seen him in a while."
"You've been training hard these last couple of weeks. Can't you ask them a break to visit your own family?"
"It's important that I finish my training."
"Why?"
"You better go, Sarah. It's getting late."
I got up and walked towards him. He was taller now, just like Isaac. Jay's physical changes were now more visible. He had gained muscle and his hair was now shorter.
"I need you to tell me something."
"What?"
"Are you in love with her?"
"Please don't do this, Sarah. I don't want to hurt you."
"So you do love her."
"It's not like that. I don't know what I feel for her. We are not exactly together. I see her once in a while and when I do I feel at ease... but I don't think it's love..."
Yet. I knew he had purposely omitted that word. But if he wasn't sure about his feelings for Ella, we still had a chance.
"What if I told you there's a way that we can be together."
Jay looked at me puzzled.
"The imprint is permanent. Embry told me it will only disappear if one of us dies."
"Trust me, there's a way without resorting to death."
"How?"
"It's called the mating season." I blushed a little but Jay didn't understand the implications of my words.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm a wolf too," I stated.
"No, you're not."
"But I will be. Very soon... because I carry the gene as well. And after I phase for the first time, you'll have about two years to figure out if you want to be an imprint zombie and stay with someone who was imposed on you by some retarded spiritual entities, or if you want to be with me and have the future we have always dreamed of."
"I don't think I can break the imprint even if you're a wolf."
"I'm not asking the wolf inside of you to break the imprint. I'm asking your human part to choose me instead of Ella. Can you do that?"
He hugged me then and I clung to him as if he was my salvation. He was going to fight for us and that was enough for now.
"I still don't understand exactly how..."
"Female wolves go into heat two years after phasing for the first time." I cut him off. "If you claim me as yours, we'll be together despite the imprint. Then we can send everyone to hell and live our lives as we please."
"Are you insane?" He pushed me back.
"Why?"
"Claim you? Are you listening to yourself? That's just... wrong."
"It's the only way! My dad claimed my mother when a douchebag threatened to claim her for himself. William also claimed Rhea so I don't see anything wrong with that."
"It's dangerous and... you're not a piece of meat Sarah. I can't do that."
"You can't or you don't want to?"
He was silent for a few seconds.
"I don't want to hurt you." He finally said. His eyes darting to the floor beneath his feet. "I never wanted this to happen."
"If you don't love her... yet, then you still love me, right?"
Jay nodded slowly.
"And if you still love me two years from now, and I believe you will, you'll know what to do." I held Jay's hands and placed it over my heart. "I'll wait for you Jay."
"What if I'm not strong enough? What if someone else..."
"That's not going to happen. I'll have my parents, Uncle Seth and all of my brothers protecting me. I'll choose you because I can't love another. Only you."
We shared an innocent kiss until the clock hanging on the wall announced the hours. It was late. If I didn't go home now, I'd be caught.
"How did you get the keys?" Jay asked as we were leaving his house.
"Nelly Melrose had them. She said your grandparents always leave a spare key when they're out."
"And what did she ask in return?"
"How do you know she asked something?" I looked surprised at Jay.
"I've known her since she was a kid. We're neighbors. And I know she's not the type of person to do a favor just out of kindness."
"She wanted a date with my brother," I said.
"Well... it was about time Isaac had a date. Even if it's with Nelly. It's kind of sad watching him moping around thinking about Sophia Felton."
"She didn't ask a date with Isaac... she asked a date with William."
Then Jay burst out laughing.
"That's going to be epic!"
I walked inside my house through the back door. Mom and dad were probably still out and JJ was supposed to be doing his homework upstairs. I tried to be as silent as I could. I navigated through the kitchen with the lights out but when I reached the living room the lights were on suddenly and I met a very angry William waiting for me.
His tall frame and hard frown made him look exactly like dad when he was about to give me a lecture.
"What the hell were you thinking Sarah? You were told to stay here watching over JJ!"
"I guess you're not really the best person to give me lectures about abandoning your responsibilities. If I remember correctly, you left us alone when we were kids to go to a party and we were attacked by a werewolf! Does that ring any bells?"
"You're unbelievable! Now I can understand what mom and dad feel when I do something stupid."
"JJ's fine, isn't he?"
"Yes! He's fine! But I'm not!" He growled and came closer. I was now pressed against the wall. "That freaking girl, Nelly... you told me she wanted to jump from the damn cliffs but she didn't! She wanted to jump me!"
"You should be proud. Girls dig you."
"You're this close..." William joined his index finger and his thumb so I could understand his point of view. "... to be grounded for the rest of your life, and that means no more secret dates with Jay Morris!"
"How do you..."
"I can smell him on you, you freaking idiot! Be thankful that I'm not dad because if I were, Jay would be in a coffin right now and you'd be locked in your bedroom."
"I'm sorry..." I said. I guess I should start playing nice now that I had been discovered. "I wasn't honest with you but I really didn't think it would matter. Nelly is just an idiot who likes bad boys and I really wanted to meet Jay."
"Those meetings need to stop." My brother told me. "He's bound to Ella. You need to move on."
"I will... I just needed to talk to him one last time." I lied.
"I really hope this was the last time because it's useless to pursue someone who belongs to another. I know it hurts now, but with time, you'll heal and things will get better." His expression softened. "I won't tell mom and dad about this but you have to do something for me."
"What?"
"Never arrange a date between me and Nelly again! Actually never arrange a date between me and other girls. I have a girlfriend already and a very angry one at that."
"You had to cancel your dinner?"
"Yes."
"I'm sorry. I'll talk to Rhea for you. I'll tell her it was my fault."
"You better do that because I really don't want to be in the dog house this weekend."
xxxxxxxxxx
I learned the reason why mom and dad had stayed out all night, the reason why William wanted to be in good terms with Rhea, and the reason why Jay had gone to dine with his father, that very same morning.
"Okay, listen up!" Mom said coming into the kitchen followed closely by dad. William, JJ and I were finishing breakfast. "We're going on a trip today. We're visiting Lance in Campbell Island for the weekend."
"What?" I asked dumbfounded. "Why?"
"Because they invited us and it's rude to reject such invitation. They're our friends." Dad explained.
"But why are we all going?"
"Because we're saying so." Mom stated. "Now, come on JJ, I'll help you pack."
I knew something was wrong. I could feel it. As soon as JJ left the kitchen with mom, I tried to know more details about Lance's invitation but I soon realized it was all a lie.
"Who's going?" I asked.
"The packs and some of their families," Dad answered.
"Why would Lance invite so many people?"
"Because..." Dad hesitated for a few seconds. "He didn't invite us." He finally caved in. "We need their help with a situation and we're taking you there to make sure you're safe."
Dana had mentioned that. She had also said that the pack would be vulnerable and I should stay close to vampires.
"Did you take care of the Whites?" William asked. He had been eating in silence until now.
"Yes, they're leaving to collect new merchandise for Hal's shop today. It's a two-day journey so they'll be fine."
"And Rhea's mother?"
"She's going too. Tell Rhea that her family will be safe. Like we promised."
William nodded.
A long convoy left La Push that morning. Not all the people traveling to Campbell knew the truth behind that trip. The presence of the children made it look like a typical road trip to visit some friends.
I was allowed to ride with William, Rhea, EJ, and Danny. I had explained Rhea the reason why William had missed their dinner last night. I had taken the blames and promised I would never do that again. She didn't breathe a word but a moment later she started to speak to my brother again.
"Who's following us?" I asked when I noticed that there was movement between the trees.
"Sam and Collin are protecting our rear and Uncle Seth and Jared are running ahead of us," William replied.
"What will happen when we get there?"
"Lance and the others will welcome us and we'll just act normally. Then, tonight we'll leave to meet with Volturi in the morning."
"Where are the Cullens?"
"They're not allowed to enter Lance's territory. They're already at the meeting point."
"I've heard your parents say that the pack established a no-aggression agreement with the Volturi if that's the case, why aren't we meeting them in our lands, where they can't attack us?" Rhea asked spiking my curiosity. Danny was also listening to every word while EJ was snoring.
"Because they demanded to meet in a neutral location. The Cullens suggested Whiskey Cove in Denny Island since it's close to Campbell Island and it's been abandoned for years now. We won't be seen or interrupted. And since the Cullens are already there, we'll have the upper ground which is an advantage in case of battle though Alice is pretty sure it won't come to that."
"But if you're meeting in Whiskey Cove, you're taking us closer to the danger." I pointed out.
"Actually, that's not true. But you'll understand later."
"How many of them?" I inquired a bit worried. According to Dana, the pack was vulnerable which meant the enemy had larger numbers.
"In the beginning, Alice saw an army, but last night she saw only fourteen."
"And wolves? How many wolves are there?"
"From Lance's pack, seven. Five are ready to fight, two are too young to know what they're doing. From our side, sixteen but only ten are experienced fighters."
"I count eighteen." I corrected.
"Brady and Denis are unavailable right now," William explained. "If you count with Isaac, who in Jasper's opinion is ready to fight, we'll have eleven wolves. The other five are not ready to take down vampires yet."
"I'm ready to rock!" EJ said. I guess he wasn't sleeping after all. "I'm going to kill some leeches and prove that I'm better than all the other wolves!"
"Shut up! You're high." My brother said. "You better be sober tonight, you moron!"
EJ turned to me. "Do I look high?"
"Yes," I replied watching his dilated pupils.
EJ laughed and put his head back again closing his eyes. "You bet I am! Call me when we get there."
"What a jackass." My brother whispered.
Campbell Island was a nice place. I didn't enjoy the ferry boat trip at all but the beautiful landscape was worth it. Our hosts were very nice too. They had bungalows to accommodate everyone. Some of them had actually just finished building the lodges. I saw two boys about my age walking around shirtless and carrying working tools.
There was a bonfire late in the evening to welcome us with lots of food and drinks. I spotted the two shirtless boys again, only now they were fully dressed. They looked nervous to be there with Lance and the others.
"Alex Summers and Adam Locke," Isaac whispered behind me. "They're the oldest of Dominic's bastard sons. They phased recently."
"They're shapeshifters?"
"Yes," Isaac replied. "Dad wants the new wolves of all packs to train together in the future. If Lance agrees, we'll have to come to Campbell to train with Alex and Adam, and they will have to go to La Push to train with us four times a year."
I nodded. It was a good plan but it would mean more non-imprinted wolves around in La Push, two more candidates to try and mate with me once I got into heat. Two more opponents for Jay to deal with.
During the bonfire, I heard my parents arranging things with Lance's pack. They were planning to leave at 2 a.m. and head east straight to the coast where they already had a boat waiting. It would take them about twenty minutes to cross the sea to Whiskey Cove on Denny Island.
In accordance with Dana's instructions, I'd have to follow them undetected. The problem was that I had no idea how. To ask someone from a pack for help was stupid because no one would ever accept to take me there. Not even Isaac. And if they decided to run to the coast in wolf form, I would never be able to follow them.
I was out of options. I was going to have to use the plan B. It was forbidden and it could get me into serious trouble since it was a very bold move on my part, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
It was past one in the morning when mom and dad kissed JJ good night and told me to stay in the bungalow and wait for their return. Isaac hugged me and followed our parents. William was staying with Rhea in a different cottage.
My younger brother fell asleep immediately but I remained awake, and I watched as one by one, all of the other wolves gathered in a circle around my parents, William, Isaac, and Lance.
The alphas. I thought to myself. The other wolves were gathering around their leaders.
Uncle Seth, Uncle Paul, and Uncle Embry came out of their bungalows at the exact same time. Then Quil, Collin, Sam, and Jared arrived. Lance's pack came together. They were six: Cody, Dominic, Kinley, Glenn, Alex, and Adam. Quinn, EJ, Danny, and Jay joined the group followed by a nervous Rhea.
Then they went to the forest and I couldn't see them anymore.
I put my clothes back on again and quietly left our bungalow. I walked in the shadows and stopped in front of a bungalow equal to the one I was staying at. As I suspected the door was open, so I walked inside and headed towards the back of the lodge where someone was tossing and turning, probably still awake.
"Come with me," I whispered to the person lying on the bed. He recognized my voice immediately.
"What the hell are you doing here, Black?"
"I came here to get you, Uley," I replied.
Levi frowned but didn't move an inch.
"Don't you want to know where your father just went?" I teased.
"What's your plan, Sherlock?"
"I'll tell you on our way, dear Watson."
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EvangellaAkriti - thank you for the expression "desperate times call for desperate measures" in your last review. ;)