hello! I am reuploading this chapter to include Leah. I somehow completely forgot to put her in with the pack when they appear, so I apologize about that! I assure you all that Leah will be in this story. please let me know if the chapter uploads correct! I know it was messed up when I tried to update before, so hopefully its all good now. just let me know!

She didn't remember the car ride home, or getting into her house, the next thing she knew it was the next afternoon and her head was pounding. She stumbled to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of aspirin and a glass of water. She took the meds, and chugged the water thirstily.

"Rough night?" Billy asked from the table, a small smirk on his face.

Rayna shrugged. "A little."

Billy gave a chuckle, taking a drink of his coffee. "No more champagne till you're twenty one."

"No problem there." Rayna lied, relieved that her dad wasn't pressing the matter further. If he really knew the whole story, things would be much different.

"You'd better give Paul a call, when you're feeling up to it," Billy advised, giving her a look. "He got your drunk behind home and in bed."

Rayna nodded, wincing as the motion pulsed pain throughout her head. "Fuck."

"Watch that mouth, young lady." Billy warned, though there was no heat behind it.

Jacob strolled into the kitchen then, grumbling something. He took the milk out of the fridge and drank it straight from the carton, then placed it back in the fridge.

"You're so nasty," Rayna moaned, sitting down at the table and placing her head on her arms.

"And you're so hungover." Jacob teased, slapping together a sandwich. He made a lot of unnecessary noise as he put it together, banging the plates around and scratching his chair across the linoleum of the kitchen.

"Shut up." Rayna shut her eyes, willing the meds to start working.

Jacob laughed, but ate in silence. By the time he was done with his sandwich, Rayna was feeling a hell of a lot better. Probably a good thing she took five pills.

"Hey, I got a question," Rayna raised her head, looking at Jake. "Seth told me you had a dream about me when you were gone. Is that true?"

That got Billy's attention. He didn't say anything, but he kept an ear out to hear where the conversation was going.

"Yeah," Jacob nodded, swallowing the last bite of his food. "It was really weird. You told me to come home. It was so real, I didn't even think I was sleeping."

"Rayna, tell me what your dream was like." Billy wheeled himself over to the table, his eyes trained on his daughter.

"Well, I was floating," Rayna began, knowing how crazy she sounded. "I ended up by a lake? And there was a wolf there, drinking, and he reminded me of Jake, so I touched the back of the wolf and when it faced me, it had Jacob's eyes. I told the wolf to come home."

Jacob and Billy were silent. They shared a long look, long enough that Rayna assumed they were communicating to each other that she was crazy and needed to go to a nuthouse.

"Did the dream feel real?" Billy asked, rubbing a hand over his face.

Rayna nodded.

"Is that the only dream you've had like that?" He asked, resting his hands on the table.

"No," Rayna paused, remembering the dream she had involving the three Cullen boys. "There was another one."

"Describe it to me." Billy said firmly, never taking his eyes off his daughter.

So, Rayna described in detail what she saw in the dream she had about the Cullen men. She told him how horrified she had been when she saw the elk's life force leave its body, and how the spirit man claimed to be Edward's father before he disappeared.

By the time she was done, Billy looked like he had seen a ghost. He rubbed his hand over his face again, and heaved a long sigh.

"What does this mean?" Jacob asked, looking from his dad to his sister.

"Well," Billy sighed, pushing himself away from the table. "It means you aren't the only one with old magic in your blood, Jake."

"Magic?" Rayna questioned, sure her dad had lost it.

Billy nodded, and left the room. He wasn't gone long, before he returned with a very old looking necklace. It had many different things on it, some recognizable and some not. When Rayna saw it, she was instantly drawn to the feather. Her fascination was so strong, that she actually reached out and touched it ever so lightly. It felt old, and brittle.

"So you are a spiritwalker." Billy stated with a nod of his head.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked, taking her hand away from the feather.

"You are able to cross between the different planes of this world," Billy explained, setting the necklace down on the table. "Have you met your spirit protector yet?"

"My what?" Rayna wondered if she was still drunk.

"That would be a no," Billy wheeled over to the landline, and then looked back at Jacob. "Let the others know the bonfire is mandatory."

"They wouldn't miss it anyways," Jacob sounded annoyed, and from the look he gave Rayna he didn't understand what Billy was talking about either. "Does this mean Rayna is in on everything now?"

Billy nodded slowly.

"In on what?" Rayna demanded, getting up from the table. Billy was on the phone, but Jacob was walking out of the house. With an irritated groan, she followed her brother.

"Jake, what am I in on?" She demanded again, following her brother out to where he was walking to the woods. "Jake!"

Jacob stopped, and turned around to face her, his eyes troubled. "Let's take a walk, Rey."

So, the two of them made their way down to the beach, Rayna keeping her questions at bay. She was reminded of when they were younger, and they would race each other to the beach to go exploring and play pirates. She was never able to convince him to play mermaids, but Seth would indulge her at times.

They started walking down the oceanside, the waves coming and going with a calming sound. It put Rayna at ease, even if only slightly.

Jacob sat down on faded driftwood, and Rayna sat beside him. With the smell of the ocean and the feel of an oncoming storm, Jacob retold the legend of the Taha Aki, and the spirit warriors Quileutes descended from. Rayna had heard this story all her life growing up. Yet, today, it was the first time she heard it was truth rather than silly legend.

"So this whole time, everything was true?" Rayna gazed out at the ocean, watching as the waves grew more irrational.

Jacob nodded, his eyes far away. "Who would have ever thought the old men weren't just senile?"

Rayna gave a dry laugh, shaking her head. "So you turn into a wolf?"

"A giant wolf," Jacob corrected, a shadow of a grin on his face. "And the Cullens are vampires."

"I'm assuming Bella knows?" Rayna looked at her brother cautiously, not wanting to upset him.

His teeth clenched, and his skin seemed to shiver. "She plans on becoming one."

Rayna felt a reply wasn't needed, so she simply took hold of his hand, and they sat in silence. She knew it couldn't be easy on her brother, having the girl he was in love with plot and plan to become his mortal enemy, a dead monster. Now, perhaps, she understood better as to why he left. It wasn't just a crush or a broken heart. It was life and death.

Her big brother was always fearless. Always ready to face anything and any problem with heart and determination, even if a plan was only a second thought. But this, this was something you couldn't win. There was nothing you could do but watch as the person you loved gave up their life.

"We'd better head back," Jacob was the one to break the silence, glancing up at the dark sky. "I doubt we're going to be able to have the bonfire tonight, but I'm sure the Elders will have something else planned."

They headed back towards their small red house, making it there just as the rain began to pour down. Billy was waiting inside, a blanket thrown over his lap and his ever present cup of coffee pressed to his lips. He watched Rayna closely as she came in the house, shutting the door closely behind her.

"I take it, she took it well?" Billy asked Jacob quietly, so Rayna didn't hear.

Jacob nodded, his eyes dark and haunted. "Very."

"So, it's raining." Rayna announced unnecessarily, sticking her thumb out towards the window. It was pattering against the house now, the sound echoing off their roof.

Billy nodded. "The council wants to meet as soon as possible. At the sacred grounds."

"I can let the others know." Jacob offered, already heading towards the door. Billy thanked him, and Jacob was out in the rain.

"Do I have to come with you?" Rayna asked, hoping the answer was no.

Billy gave a chuckle. "Yes, bug, you have to come with. You're going to be the star of this meeting."

"I am not," Rayna shook her head fast, which was a mistake, as it brought her headache back. "I can't."

Billy wheeled himself over to her, gripping her hand with his weathered one. "You are a very important person to our tribe, Rayna. With that power, comes great enemies."

"The Cullens?" Rayna guessed with uncertainty. She didn't let go of her father's hand.

"Unfortunately, they won't be our biggest concern," Billy said grimly, his eyes taking on a far away look. "With magic as old as yours, it brings back the enemies as old as time."

"I'm nothing special," Rayna bit her lip, shaking her head. "I just have weird dreams."

"That's how it starts," Billy let go of her hand, and made his way to his bedroom. "Soon, the universe will start letting you in on life's biggest secrets. Get dressed, bug, and look presentable."

He left into his room, and Rayna knew she had no choice but to get ready. She changed out of her comfy clothes into her black skinny jeans, and an oversized, thickly knit white sweater with a small crescent moon embroidered on the right breast. She ran a brush through her hair, and carefully put it back in a french braid. The council was traditional, and Old Quil was kind of an ass, so she figured it would be best if her hair was neatly braided.

"Are you ready?" Billy called from the kitchen.

With one last look in the mirror, Rayna took a deep breath, and walked out to her father. He was waiting, dressed in nice jeans and a button down shirt, holding a weathered by time box in his lap.

Rayna followed him outside, assuming they were going to take Jacob's rabbit. To her surprise, Paul Lahote stood outside of his shiny black truck. When they appeared from the house, Paul made his way over to Billy, and helped him into the car without question. It made Rayna feel something, a good something, seeing how quick Paul was to help her father.

He came over to Rayna next, an unreadable expression on his face as he stared at her. He reached out to hold the end of her braid, letting the silky hair slip out of his fingers and back onto her shoulder. "If your father wasn't here, you would be riding shotgun."

As Rayna followed him to his truck, she couldn't help but be intoxicated by the smell Paul gave off. Had he always smelled this good? It was indescribable, sharp and spicy, but softened with just a little something sweet.

In the car, Rayna kept staring at the back of Paul's head, examining his body as he drove them to the elder meeting. He was deliciously muscular, oozed sex appeal, even in his navy blue shirt and frayed cut off jeans. As the muscles in his arms flexed, Rayna had to bite her lip to stop herself from saying something she couldn't take back in front of her father.

They caught eyes then, in the rearview mirror, Paul giving her a smirk as though he knew exactly what was going on inside her head. Her cheeks immediately lit on fire, and when he looked back to the road, she instead chose to stare at the back of his head. How could that possibly be attractive too?

Much sooner than Rayna would have liked, they pulled into the dirt parking surrounding the Elder's meeting house. It looked as though it was just a large building, but inside were pieces of Quileute history, and a special meeting area. The last time Rayna had been inside was when they held the ceremony for her mom.

Paul helped Billy out of the truck first, and when Rayna went to open her door, Paul quickly locked them. She gave him a confused look, and he responded by holding up a finger to signal for her to wait. He brought Billy inside, and then came back out to open her door for her.

"I'm capable of opening my own doors." Rayna raised her eyebrow, getting out of the truck.

"I know," Paul said, taking her hand in his. "But when you ride in my truck, I get your door."

The words and tone Paul used sent shivers down her spine. She was still confused on how to feel about Paul, and there was much they had to unpack together, but it was unfair that he had to be so unbelievably attractive.

As they walked through the door, Rayna debated on taking her hand out of his. She decided against it, the warmth and feeling it gave her outweighing her confused emotions. Yes, they needed to talk about the past, but for now, she would focus on the boost touching Paul's skin seemed to give her. It made her feel electric, like she could take on anything or anyone.

It seemed as though everyone was there. The Elders, Billy, Old Quil, and Sue Clearwater, were seated at the long table facing the chairs. In the chairs, were a handful of men built similar to Paul. However, she noted, none of them held near the same power Paul did.

To her surprise, Leah Clearwater sat in the front row next to Seth. She too, bore the characteristics of the wolf. Her once long luscious inky black hair was chopped short, barely passing her jaw. She wore jean shorts like the rest of the wolf boys, and a black tank top. She bounced one leg as she sat, her entire body language stating she didn't want to be there.

Rayna pitied her.

She didn't see her brother, or Embry, but as she and Paul took their seats near someone he greeted as Jared, the door whipped open and four more men walked in.

Rayna recognized Jacob and Embry, but the two younger looking boys were unfamiliar to her. Jacob sat in the spot next to a man she vaguely recognized as Sam Uley, a man her father had always held in high regard. The others sat in the row behind them.

Old Quil stood, and although his age was apparent and his body frail, he spoke with a voice that instantly captivated everyone's attention. "This evening, I gather to discuss the Cullen vampires."

Billy spoke next, his voice just as strong as Old Quil's. "This evening, I gather to discuss the re-emergence of the spiritwalker."

Sue Clearwater spoke last, her voice not as loud but just as clear. "This evening, I gather to bear witness."

The rest of the men around Rayna stood, and Paul gently guided her elbow to stand with them. "This evening, I gather to bear witness." They spoke in unison, everyone but Rayna.

Old Quil sat, and the others followed suit. Rayna glanced around as she sat, seeing everyone with their eyes on the Elders. She followed suit, watching as Billy and Old Quil shared a look.

"The Cullens are bound by treaty to not harm or turn another human," He began, his voice unwavering. "Isabella Swan, human of Forks, has married Edward Cullen, member of the Cullen clan. Her intentions are to be turned into a cold one. As it is her own free will, the pack will keep an eye on the situation, but will not interfere. If the newly turned Isabella comes to Forks uncontrolled, the pack will take care of the situation."

"I bear witness." Sue and Billy responded.

"I bear witness." The pack, as Old Quil called them, responded. Rayna and Jacob were the only ones to not say a word.

"Jacob Black, you do not bear witness?" Old Quil questioned, his mouth screwed down in a distasteful frown.

"We need to take action before Bella can be changed," Jacob challenged heatedly, his hands clenched at his sides. "It is a direct violation of the treaty."

"She has made her choice, Mr. Black," Old Quil slammed a hand on the table. "By her own free will, she married into that disease. She chose to end her life. If she returns bloodthirsty, you can be the one to take action."

Jacob opened his mouth to argue back, but seemed to give it a second thought and snapped his mouth shut. He was silent, but stared Old Quil down with hatred.

"I give my testimony that a member of our tribe, Rayna Black, has displayed actions of spiritwalker magic," Billy began, placing the weathered box on the long table. He took out the necklace he had shown Rayna in the kitchen at their home. "She described to me out of body experiences she had while dreaming, one about Jacob Black when he had left home, and another of the Cullen men feeding in the woods. I showed her this necklace, and she immediately reacted to the spirit feather."

"Are you sure it's not a mistake?" Sue Clearwater asked, glancing over at Rayna for a moment before her eyes flitted away.

"There has not been a spiritwalker in many moons," Old Quill nearly scoffed, waving his hand. "Your daughter has been away for many years, Chief Black. Perhaps your need for power has overruled your rationality."

"I have no need for power," Billy responded coldly, the only sign of his anger was his hand curled into a fist. "I would prefer neither of my children had to deal with the supernatural. I wish my daughter would not have to face the dangers this power brings."

"What proof do you have of her abilities?" Sue asked, raising a hand to halt whatever was about to come out of Old Quil's mouth.

"There was a dream she had, involving Jacob Black, that both Rayna and Jacob acknowledged had happened," Billy replied, his hand touching the wooden box on the table. "They both recalled the same events, although neither of them had contact before speaking of it."

"Samuel Uley," Old Quil fixed his gaze on a man with an unreadable expression. "Order Jacob Black to speak of the dream he experienced."

"Rayna Black," Sue looked at Rayna, her expression kind. "Write down the dream you experienced."

Rayna was given a piece of paper and a pen, and with only slightly shaking hands she wrote down the Jacob dream. She handed it back to Sue, and quickly sat back down.

"Jacob," Sam's voice was deep, and rang throughout the gathering hall. "Tell the council of the dream you experienced that made you come home."

As Jacob told of the dream, his words mirroring the ones Rayna had written down on the paper, Old Quil's eyes narrowed and a crease appeared in his forehead. Sue glanced at Billy, and they shared a smug look. When Jacob was done speaking, Old Quil held up his hand.

"It appears that Rayna Black is exhibiting signs of the spirit walking gift," Old Quil said gravely, his eyes shifting to Billy with a steely glare. "Chief Billy Black with begin training his daughter in the ways of spirit walking. Soon, the universe will begin to show her secrets passed, and secrets yet to be given."

"I'm well trained on spirit walking." Billy's tone was unidentifiable as he stared down Quil.

Sue Clearwater broke the silence. "So it has been decided. The Cullen situation will be watched for the time being, and Rayna Black will begin spirit walking training. We may part."

The men around Rayna rose, and once again Paul's warm hand on her elbow guided her up. The Elders remained, and Rayna paused, unsure of if she should wait for her father.

"They have more to discuss," Paul said the words to her ear, his hot breath fanning her neck. It sent chills down her spine. "I will take you home."

She followed him out to his truck, watching as the other boys disappeared into the woods. "Are you going to follow them?"

Paul opened her door, and made his way to his side of the truck. When it rumbled to life, he nodded. "After I get you home safely, I have to meet with them."

"Can you guys really hear each other's thoughts?" Rayna questioned, resting her head on the window. She was feeling sick again, remnants of the hangover.

"Sure can," Paul laughed, but there was no humor. "There's no secrets in this life."

"That must be hard." Rayna shut her eyes, willing her sudden headache to go away.

"Especially for you." Paul said the words low, almost like he didn't mean to say them out loud.

"What do you mean by that?" Rayna took her head off the window, staring at Paul with a cold glare.

"Forget it." Paul shook his head, flexing his fingers holding the steering wheel.

"No, Paul, just say what you want to say," Rayna snapped, irritation coursing through her. "Get it out of your mind."

"You've kept a lot of things from me," Paul's Adam's apple bobbed, his eyes focused on the road. "You didn't even tell me you were leaving."

"You were an asshole and I didn't owe you shit," Rayna held the car door, facing away from Paul as they pulled into her driveway. "In fact, I still don't."

"Rayna-" Paul started, but Rayna leapt out of his truck, bolting to the door. She slammed it shut behind her, ignoring his calls.

The last thing she needed right now was Paul's pity party. So she took more aspirin, and took herself to her room. With everything that had just happened, all she wanted was to be numb.

Her hand reached to the back of the bottom drawer, her hands grasping the cool glass bottle and dragging it out. She drank the last of the bottle, her throat burning as she swallowed, coughing hard when she caught her breath. The empty bottle was shoved to the back of the drawer once again, and Rayna climbed into bed.

This was the last time she would drink. Just this last time, and that would be that. Just this last time.

i almost cut this chapter in half, but i couldn't find a good halfway point. so, yall get an extra long chapter. hopefully it was to everyones liking! we {kinda} find out what's going on with Rayna, but no specifics quite just yet ;) let me know what yall think!

also! mckoolio, im so happy to see you reading this story. i remembered your name immediately, amd i love that youre liking the rewrite so far!

until next time,

-TheFlyingGraysons