Disclaimer: The Twilight book series and all recognizable characters and situations belong to Stephanie Meyer I don't own any of that. But I do so love her stage.
**Please see the authors note at the end of this chapter for info and acknowledgements*****
Anything written in italics is a flashback, random thought, or text message depending on the context.
The reveal:
Adam Lightfoot's Pov
Coinin phased early, his distinct howl startled me. I grabbed a backpack on my way out of the door, sniffing for his scent and tracking him even as I phased. A couple of minutes later a different shifter howled. My ears tuned in automatically deciphering the echoing sound. He was calling for reinforcements.
Before I traveled deeper into the forest, I began to pick various fresh and older leech trails crisis-crossed with shifter trails. My senses detected a wild vampire coven nearby. Yet there were enough shifter trails to account for a pack. Something wasn't adding up.
Coinin's path merged with that of a single leech and two shifters. I lowered my head to the ground listening. Based on the vibrations three shifters were tracking the thing as a group. A fourth shifter was approaching from a different angle. I felt some urgency, but I was reassured that Coinin had backup. His scent became stronger as I gradually closed in. The trees started to thin and abruptly let out into a small clearing.
Coinin was surrounded by three shifters. The larger black one displayed a natural air of authority, making it easy to identify him as alpha. The other two were listening intently to something likely the pack mind.
Seeing that Coinin had joined the local pack, I started to relax. Then I noticed something odd. Coinin was not moving but I could see his muscles straining. Early phases are notoriously painful, but only during the actual transformation. I was confused until I realized he was fighting an alpha command.
Sam's Pov
A short time earlier
Quil yawned and started stretching. "Go on home," I suggested. He looked at me and waved before running to the tree line. When we got in from Arizona this morning, I hadn't planned on working today, but I needed to escape from Emily for a few hours.
I love my darling, but her reconciliation with Leah energized her. I was helping her work off some of that energy, when the twins woke up and put a stop to that. My baby was on a whirlwind cleaning spree when I left the house.
Maybe a different type of distraction would help. I could stop by the ice cream parlor and pick up a half gallon of cherry jubilee her favorite. She'd bake something to go with it. "Brady lets wrap it up," I yelled. It took us ten minutes to finish. Together we loaded the equipment onto my truck.
"Do you want a ride home?" I asked him. "No I'll try to catch up with Quil or swing back to town and get something to eat," he replied. I nodded and said my goodbyes. Brady shifted and disappeared into the forest. I finished my notes and secured the job site before heading home.
I was leaving the driveway when a forlorn howl filled the air. I considered checking it out, but Brady was close-by and would investigate. A few minutes later I recognized Quil's howl for help. I parked the truck on the side of the road and sprinted for the cover of trees to phase.
The pack mind was filled with a jumble of frenzied emotions.
"Brady get Sam I'm almost to him," said Quil.
"No need Brady. What's going on?" I asked.
"Stop!" Brady yelled through the pack mind.
Quil showed me his memories. I assessed the situation and issued an alpha order stopping the pup in his tracks. He frantically kept trying to follow his natural instinct and go after the leech. I felt sorry for the kid. A first phase is hard enough without adding leeches to the mix.
I ran into the clearing and stopped short. This dusty white pup with strange silver eyes was slightly larger than the rest of us. I went over and spoke to him, "You need to calm down so we can help you phase back".
I said to Quil and Brady, "We'll have to wait this one out until he calms down enough to talk to us".
Quil asked, "Do either of you recognize his eyes so we can notify his family?"
"No," Brady and I answered in unison.
Brady said, "Let me try. What's your name?"
"Coinin," he replied.
So he had calmed down enough to form a lucid thought. Even though he was trying to focus on us, he was distracted trying to break my alpha order and hunt the leech.
I said, "Coinin take it easy. I'm sorry you can't chase the leech."
Quil asked, "What do you do for fun?"
A third person view of lifting weights flashed through the pack mind.
Brady said, "Thinking about girls helps me"
A picture of Leah wearing sexy black lace underwear flashed through the pack mind. I'm not sure who was more surprised us or Coinin. The pup was attracted to her and felt remorse for exposing her body to "strange men".
Quil laughed, "We're not strange men. She's a wolf to! We couldn't avoid seeing each other naked sometimes." He thought about Leah phasing back to her human form.
Brady just had to run his mouth, "Dude we've all seen each others chicks. It's part of being in the pack." Images of Emily, Kim, Rachel, and his girlfriend Charlotte naked flashed in the pack mind. "If you want to hide something recite the ABC'S," Brady advised.
I got so angry I almost kicked his butt. "Brady that's both inappropriate and disrespectful!" I reprimanded. Emily's the hottest one anyhow...Oops.
Coinin thought of Leah picking up a dress off the floor. Wait wasn't she wearing that yesterday? Before we could see more the pup latched onto to Brady's advice, "A.B.C.D."
I quickly hid my thoughts to conceal my jealously. I'd been thinking Coinin grew up away from the reservation, but since he knows Leah maybe not. But I know all of the Quileute kids and I couldn't place him. Leah used to spend time on the Makah reservation with Emily's family. Maybe he's part Makah and she met him there.
Deep down a part of me hates that I lost Leah. I'm genuinely happy she has moved on. But, the little piece of her affection I managed to hold onto is crumbling. She looked really good in Coinin's memories. I finally had a taste of what she went through a few years back.
My wife is the love of my life. But Leah was and always will be my first love. I promised myself not to let personal feelings influence my dealings with the pup. I owe her that much.
Brady's ears perked up, then the rest of us heard it too. Something was approaching through the forest. We caught a new scent, familiar but different at the same time, another shifter!
Quil said, "Oh for crying out loud! When did new kids start phasing again?"
Brady asked, "How come we didn't know about this?"
I said, "I'll call Carlisle Cullen later and see if there are any new leeches in the area".
We waited for him to reach us; heavy paws changed to footsteps and then the rustle of clothing.
Brady said, "At least this one can phase back!"
He walked out of the tree line. At first I thought I was seeing things. I had to be! People like this are born only to the Quiluete! I saw a man with a straight nose and flaring nostrils, high cheekbones and a strong square jaw. His glossy black hair was braided into two long braids resting over either of his shoulders. Intricate tattoos graced his forearms and the backs of his hands.
It was his height and muscular build that marked him as a shifter. Even across the clearing I could see the graceful movement unique to our kind. He dropped down to one knee and rested his hands on his bent knee. "Hello, Adam Lightfoot of the diplomats, currently First Beta of Pack Hemming. What are your terms?" he asked in a deep raspy voice. This is no pup!
Pandemonium broke out in the pack mind as we started talking at once. Who talks like that? What is he even talking about? Is his dad Quiluete like Embry? Where did he come from? Is he friendly? What does he mean by terms? Is he trying to conquer us?
With that last question, I was feeling territorial in a whole new way. I pushed their thoughts aside and focused on my next move. Pack Hemming? Must be Quiluetes who live away from the reservation. Do the other elders even know about this? Why didn't they tell me?
"It's just Adam," Coinin's voice cut across the pack mind.
Three pairs of eyes focused on him.
"Are your ancestors Blacks, Atearas, or Uleys like me. And what about him?" I asked.
Coinin flashed a memory. Adam covered with heavy facial hair was sitting next to a tiny woman with strawberry blond hair and laughing brown eyes.
"You never said I was adopted! Why don't my parents want me?" Coinin asked them.
The woman glanced at Adam then back to Coinin seemingly at a loss for words.
Adam picked up the story, "It's not that they didn't want you. Your other mother Ioana died when you were a baby. Your father wanted you to be raised in a real family. It's not safe yet for you to be around him, or even know his name. He loves you and sent me to watch over you. I'll be in your life kid so get used to it."
"I was thirteen years old," Coinin told us. He flashed a few other memories of growing up with his adopted mother Rita. Adam was in most of them. The last memory he shared was a recent one of him teasing Adam about how much younger he looked without facial hair.
"No wonder you always hid behind that hair baby face! Do they card you at the liquor store?" Coinin taunted. Adam stuck out his tongue at him and said, "Shut Up." So that's how he hid that he wasn't aging.
Adam stood and walked closer to us. "It's considered aggressive to stay in wolf form once I've presented myself to you as a man," he rebuked us.
I felt defensive "Watch my back," I said to my pack before running into the trees to phase. Adam was neatly dressed in black jeans and a polo shirt that looked like it had been pressed. I wanted to look presentable as well.
My shorts and t-shirt were a little worse for wear but it was all I had. When I walked back out, I could feel Adam sizing me up. Something I couldn't define flashed in his eyes, recognition?
I strode toward him, "Sam Uley." I announced myself.
"What are your terms?" he inquired.
I didn't know what he meant, so I give him a blank look.
"Terms?" he asked me again looking at me like it should be obvious.
"You keep saying that, what do you mean?" I wondered.
The irritation left his face at once and was replaced by something that faintly resembled amusement. "Terms are used to define relationships between shifters." He explained. He dropped to one knee again. "Here are my terms, I propose a kindred link. May I join your pack?" he requested.
OK He wanted to leave his pack and join mine. I started to refuse him, but this way I could keep tabs on him. All shifters are part Quileute, and we take care of each other. I head myself say, "Yes."
Coinin's Pov
Adam closed his eyes and we felt him link to the pack. Quil and Brady were surprised to feel it happen and began to speculate about it. I ignored their chatter and focused on Adam and Sam.
Adam stood and addressed Sam, "Permission to speak freely Alpha Uley?"
Sam looked wary but nodded his head.
Adam questioned Sam, "Why is Coinin under an Alpha command?"
Sam let out a long sigh and rubbed his hand across the back of his neck.
"It's a long story that I don't want to get into right now. Anyway, why does it matter? I'm going to release him as soon as he's able to phase back," he said.
Adam's body language implied that he was losing patience.
He stared at Sam, "You are an Alpha, why don't you follow the laws of our people? Casual use of alpha commands is prohibited under article 17 of the Jeroisa pact of 2005. Use of alpha commands is limited to two areas, hunts and fights. Or if a pack member endangers others, they can be used as a disciplinary action. Now I ask you again, why is Coinin under an Alpha command?"
Sam crossed his arms defensively. "Coinin was breaking a treaty that's been in effect for over a hundred years in this area, so I put him on ice until he's calm enough to phase back." he replied.
Well that's embarrassing...
Adam's eyes narrowed, "You're within your rights to discipline the pup to protect your treaty. But why not just ask him to phase? That's better than removing his free will, yes? May I?"
He must have taken Sam's silence for agreement because he turned that steely gaze on me. "Coinin being in a pack is a privilege you must not abuse. Now Phase," he said, his voice a low tenor that I had to obey.
My body spontaneously stood up on my hind legs. I could feel the air currents moving around me as my body melded back into my human form. It felt strange to be back on two legs.
Sam's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Adam tossed me a backpack containing a change of clothes. Brady and Quil phased back and pulled on shorts.
Adam said, "Alpha Uley, I'd advise you to use discretion when issuing alpha commands."'
Brady was gawking at me. "You're not Quileute," he stated the obvious.
"No Kidding! Dude looks like a Viking," Quil said to no one in particular.
Sam was still staring at Adam with a shocked expression. "But..But..you beta commanded the pup! Paul and Leah are our betas," he hissed.
Adam started to massage his temples. "Alpha Uley why are you acting like you don't know anything about our kind? As first beta of Pack Hemming I can command most shifters, even alpha's. I belong to the diplomats, as do all of Pack Lightfoot. It's our gift," he stated slowly like he was explaining something to a small child.
Sam confessed, "I didn't know there were other shifters, I mean other than us!"
Adam smiled as his whole demeanor changed. "I wondered about that. Welcome to our world Alpha Uley and pack," He said playfully.
A/N: You guys are so awesome! Thank you everyone who left reviews. You motivate me to write better chapters. I also want to thank everyone for reading, following and favoring this story.
There is a reason Adam can be in more than one pack which will be explained soon.
Leah's Pov next update I promise. I wanted to write her pov here but the chapter would be way to long.
Next chapter: The rest of the La Push wolves react to Sam's discovery. Jacob and Leah are called home. Secrets about the true nature of the she-wolf is revealed. Plus a surprise twist when Adam meets a woman . Enjoy :)