A/N: I know what you all are thinking. Finally, an update. And I agree. Life has been beyond crazy and just lost contact with the muses. Hoping that I can get them all talking again, but baby steps. Won't keep you from the update, so enjoy!

….

"Now you must decide. Do you accept the Aylen and what she means to your pack as well as the other tribes, or do you reject her?"

It was tough to stand there, acting as if their decision mattered little to me, knowing that if they did reject me, I would be broken beyond repair. I could feel multiple sets of eyes boring into the back of my head, so I nudged Johnny's shoulder with my beak and jerked my head in the direction of the pack.

Johnny turned to look at the pack. "This is a decision that you as a pack must answer. The elders here have no say in this as the pack is separate. They are here to help guide when needed, not to badger you into something you do not want."

"I would like to have her back in human form if that's ok?" Embry glanced at me as he talked, a pleading look on his face.

I nodded my head and nudged Johnny to give me my dress.

"Are you sure, Igido?" He searched my eyes and then sighed. "I am not happy with this, but this is your call, and I will support you."

Taking my dress from him, I switched to my wolf form and darted off to the trees. With a deep breath, I stepped out of the trees and walked back to stand by Johnny's side. "I am ready."

"Bells?"

Turning, I looked to Embry. "Yes, Em?"

Embry looked to Paul, and he nodded. Together they both stepped forward and kneeled in front of me. "Bella, both Paul and I accept you as a member of our pack, as the Aylen and as an Alpha."

Shock was all that I felt as I looked between the two before me. With a gasp, I fell to my knees and took their hands. "There is no reason to kneel before me. I am not worthy of that as I am no better than either of you. We will be equals and work together in everything."

"That's the Bells we know and love." Embry smiled at me. "I'm gonna go shift and fill in Leah and Quil really quick if that's ok?"

"Of course, Em. They are part of the decision as well." No sooner had Embry jumped up than Jared had taken his place.

"I know we didn't really know each other before and I wasn't exactly the nicest to you last night, but I do accept you. How you protected one of ours shows that you are a pack member and one I would trust to have my back. If the Aylen is what Johnny described, then it seems you would be the best one for it." Jared shrugged with a grin. "Hopefully this means we can start over, blank slate."

Honestly, I was too surprised to say anything. I was expecting more of a battle from him. Gathering my thoughts, I took his hand as I had with Embry and Paul. "I would be glad to start over, Jared. Thank you."

With a nod he stood up next to Paul and nodded at Johnny.

"Wait a minute." As I was standing up, a thought struck me. "We are missing a wolf. I just remembered that Seth shifted the same night Leah did. Where is he?"

Sam wouldn't meet my gaze, just nodded his head in the direction of Billy for an answer.

"Billy? Why is Seth not here?"

"I don't believe that is any of your concern. I do not recognize you as one of the pack and that is pack information." Billy all but snarled at me. You could tell he knew he was fighting a losing battle, but he just wouldn't give in.

"I am sick and tired of these games old man." Johnny turned on him with a glare. "You have sealed the fate of your bloodline no longer being Alpha of the Quileute pack. I cannot take the chance that your current anger be passed on down the line and affecting any future packs."

"You have no right…." Billy started but was cut off quickly.

"I have every right." Johnny snarled before turning to Sam. "Alpha, I really hope you have an answer as to where your missing pack mate is."

Sam did not flinch when Johnny turned to stare at him. "Seth was deemed too young to participate in pack meetings, so he has been assigned with guard duty of the imprints. They all get together at the Black house while we meet."

"He is too young?"

"Yes, Alpha."

"And who is the one that set the age restriction on the pack? A restriction, might I add, that not even Taha Aki set."

At this point I could feel the anger rolling off Johnny in waves. Normally I would try to calm him down, but this was beyond even my help now. If only Annie were here, she would be able to help bring some form of control to this fiasco.

"Paul?"

"Yes, Bells?"

"Go get Seth. He needs to be a part of this as he is pack."

He nodded and stepped off to the side, pulling out his phone.

"You have no right!"

This time it wasn't Johnny that responded.

"It is you that has no right!" Sam growled out. "I am tired of your spitefulness and hatred of everyone that is not your son and how you have treated the pack. Jacob is not alpha material and definitely not someone this tribe would follow as chief. The days of your brow beating the pack and council members into doing everything your way is over."

"You have no authority here, Sam. You are only the stand in alpha until my son is ready to take over."

"Billy Black!" Sue shouted. "This has to stop. We all know that you hold Bella responsible for Charlie's death. Then your spoiling of your boy when she rejected him for Cullen. That is where this all started. I know that you thought that Bella would just follow along meekly with what you wanted and when she did not, that is when your bitterness started. I am surprised that Charlie didn't catch on to your little act. Were you really friends with him? Or just faking it so that your horny boy could have a plaything until he found his imprint?"

"How dare you? You should be just as mad at her as I am. You have loved Charlie for as long as I can remember." Billy shouted back. "You can't deny that once Harry was gone you were just waiting until you could go to Charlie."

"How dare you speak to my mother like that!"

All heads turned as Seth walked into the light of the bonfire. He was visibly shaking he was so angry and based on the vitriol that spewed from Billy's mouth, he had every right to be.

"Seth?" I looked at him, taking in the changes. This was no fourteen-year-old that stood before us. Seth looked to be as old as Paul and Jared, and that made my heart hurt for the sacrifices he has had to make.

"Bella?" Seth looked over at me. "We were all wondering what happened to you after you left the clinic. Where did you go? Why are you here?"

"That is a long story. If you want to phase in with Embry he can fill you in on everything that has transpired, but first I want to make sure you understand something."

With a confused look, he looked to Sam before nodding. "What's up?

"I know that up to this point you have been kept out of pack meetings and by that I would assume the patrol rotations as well. All because of your age. If you were gifted with a wolf, then you are part of the pack regardless of age." I glanced at Johnny and then sighed. "Go phase and talk to Embry. He'll fill you in on the rest."

Nodding, Seth shot a quick glance at Sam, then jogged off into the trees.

"You had no right to do that."

"Again, Billy, you are the one with no rights here anymore. I suggest that you just keep your mouth closed going forward. You are just making things worse for yourself." Sue snapped.

I admit that I was impressed with her response to Billy. We will need to get the root of his personality change as well as Jacob's but that will have to wait for another time. Right now, we just needed to get this Aylen situation settled for this pack and then we could move on to other things. Hopefully at another time though.

We all just stood around in awkward silence as we waited for Embry and Seth to rejoin us. It was really nerve wracking to stand here and look unaffected by what was going on around me. Jacob and Billy were still glaring daggers in my direction. Paul and Jared stood off to the side and were quietly talking about the patrol schedule and how to fit Seth into it going forward. Johnny had moved over to speak quietly with Old Quil as he was the only one to know who he was as well as be sensible from the beginning of meeting. Sue was left sitting uncomfortably by herself as she had already set herself apart from Billy but had not really given her opinion on anything else.

That just left Sam. I chanced a quick glance out of the corner of my eye and saw him looking out over the water, an unreadable expression on his face. It still hurt knowing that he wanted the imprint until he learned I was a wolf. Sadly, I knew that I was a freak and as such, unwanted, but it hurt more knowing that if I was just like all of the other imprints, my heart would not be breaking in two.

Just then Embry came back out of the trees, pulling me from my thoughts, and jogged over to us. "Well, that went about as well as I expected. Although I wasn't expecting Seth to join in."

"That was my fault. I just learned what was happening with Seth and set things right."

"It really is good to have you back, Bells. Now maybe we can start acting like a true functional pack and not have so much bullshit to deal with." Embry sighed as he rubbed a hand down his face. "Leah and Quill were shocked on so many levels, but they agree with me. They accept you, Bells, and there was never any question with Seth. He has always looked up to even if he never said it, being a shy boy and all."

"Shut up, Embry!" Seth yelled as he stepped out of the trees. A tinge of pink colored his cheeks as he rejoined us by the bonfire. "He was correct though. I accept you, Bella. There was never a question."

"Well, it looks like there has been a response from all of the pack except for two. And we all know that no one will care what Jake has to say." Paul growled the last as he glared at Jacob. He turned to look at his alpha. "So Sam, it seems that it comes down to you. Do you accept Bella here or not?

….

A/N: What did everyone think of this chapter? I will admit that I went over it a few times and tweaked a few things as it just wasn't flowing right. Hope everyone likes it. And hopefully it won't be such a long wait for the next update. I will say that I am trying to get all of my muses talking again so there is no guarantee which muse will be the loudest and what story will get the update.

So, let me know what y'all think and I'll get back to my muses…TTFN my lovelies!

Translations: (These will be at the end of each chapter and will contain all words used in this fic)

Aylen means happiness

Nuka means younger sibling

Misun means little brother

Tanis means daughter

Nizhoni means beautiful

Igido means sister

Shilah means brother

Hoquat means white man