AN: For anyone interested in the face characters/what the characters look like I'm going to attempt to put a link here! I included their wolf selves too! You'll have to get rid of the spaces and add periods where the '*' are! If you have trouble, just shoot me a message!

oi61 * tinypic* co m/t 6xv0w*jp g

Also, if you want to know their real ages:

Alex: 109 - Mental/Appearance age: 20

Chase: 365 - Mental/Appearance age: 23

Ty: 95 - Mental/Appearance age: 21

Nick: 76 - Mental/Appearance age: 15

Matt & James: 75 - Mental/Appearance age: 19

Lilly: 41 - Mental/Appearance age: 14

This chapter is a little late thanks to FFN being down! On a lighter note, I just wrote the chapter with Emmett! So only a few more chapters! And chapter 10 will be in Emmett's POV!

Chapter Seven

The La Push Pack

"Thank you for your hospitality, Sam." I gave him a smile as we filed into the small fragrant kitchen. Emily, Sam's imprint, immediately offered us food.

"It's no problem. You're the first outside wolves we've met." He kissed Emily as she handed him a loaded plate. "What brings you to Washington, Alex?"

"We're here to keep an eye on the granddaughter of a friend." I took one of the head seats at the table while Sam took the other. There was no need to give them any excess detail, at least not until I knew them better. With a single nod from me, the others sat as well.

Sam watched them follow my wordless command before turning back to me. "You have a large pack. They're very… obedient. I don't mean it as an insult."

"Why would it be an insult?" James asked as he reached over the plate to grab a roll out of the basket. "When you have a good alpha, being obedient is a sign of complete trust and loyalty."

Sam sent a pointed look towards Paul who rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Okay."

I rose an eyebrow, but remained quiet. It wasn't my place to question Sam's pups. "We have others about to phase. I don't understand why though. The leeches left months ago."

I shook my head. Sam knew so little of our kind. He seemed to have done well with what he did know though. "The change takes a while. Some could have begun while they were still here. Some are because of you." I took a bite of chicken, trying not to moan at how good it tasted. Emily could cook for me any time she wanted.

"Me?" He paused with the fork half way to his mouth.

"You're the acting alpha. Your need for a pack will prompt those with the gene to turn. It's not something that can be helped." I shrugged. He seemed upset about this, but didn't comment.

"No more wolf talk!" Emily smiled and clapped her hands. "Right now, we're just new friends having dinner!"

I sighed as I watched the dark theater. Bella had gone in earlier with her friend, Jessica, I think. The movie had to be nearing an end. I hoped for our sanity, it was. As people started to file out, I stood. We had run in wolf form, trying out the bungees Sam had given us. It was a pretty good way to carry clothes. After an hour, I phased back to duck into the theater and check on Bella. Ty and Chase still stood on either side of me in their wolf form.

"Ty, head back and tell James and Matt that they're on Bella duty once we run her back." He nodded his large silver head before turning and disappearing into the woods. To my right, Chase phased back before quickly slipping on his clothes.

"We have a problem…"

I frowned and followed Chase's gaze to where Bella stood. She was eyeing a group of bikers. It was when she told Jessica she would be right back, I knew Chase was right. We had a problem. The girl was a god damn danger magnet! With a deep growl, I stalked out of the woods, reaching the bikers about the same time Bella did.

"Do you wanna go for a ride?" One of the larger men smiled at her. Another growl ripped from my chest, causing them both to turn to me.

"Alex?"

"She'll pass." I bit out before turning my gaze to Bella. "You should leave, Bella. I'm sure your father will be worried." Guilt flooded her features.

"Well then, how about you baby-" The biker made the mistake of placing his hand on my arm. Out of reflex, I caught his hand, twisting it until I heard a loud snap. "Fuck! This bitch is crazy!"

I resisted the urge to snarl as I released the man's injured hand. "Go. Home. Bella." Chase chose that moment to join me. The bikers backed up, eyeing the tall Native behind me. With a shuttered breath, Bella turned and practically ran back to Jessica. "Consider yourselves lucky." I snapped at the men before taking a step back.

The next day, it seemed like Bella went out of her way to ignore me. I couldn't blame her, nor could I explain the truth to her. I would catch her watching me out of the corner of her eye, as if she was trying to figure me out. I shouldn't have been so careless in front of a human that already knew too much. After school, I had Nick and Lilly watch her. The other guys needed a break, and for the first time in my life, I had homework. The thought was absurd.

When we arrived at the rental house, Sam was waiting on me. I nodded to the others to head inside. When we were alone, Sam finally spoke. "So, Bella Swan is the one you're protecting?"

I rose an eyebrow, but hid my surprise. Was he following us? I surly would have noticed. "How did you find out?" We started walking down the worn dirt path that led into the woods.

"We just got a new member, Jacob Black. We trailed him to Bella's last night, and saw a few of your pack members outside." I would kill James and Matt for not telling me about this.

"Black?" I hummed as I remembered the pack that inhabited La Push the last time I came through. "That's interesting."

"So you know, huh? That Jacob is the rightful alpha."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, like the subject was all he had thought about since Jacob phased. "I know that he was born with the option." I nodded. "Just like my brothers were. They didn't want it. There's a chance Jacob won't either."

"Not likely." He scoffed. "Since I put a ban on him seeing Bella, it feels like he's going out of his way to push my buttons."

"He won't be able to help that." I placed a hand on his shoulder in a gesture of friendship. "Even if he decides to remain under you, it'll be in his nature to try and resist any authority. I imagine your pack will be dealing with a lot of hostility for a while."

"Nothing new there. How do you do it? Your pack is so well formed. They respect your every wish, even when you don't say anything."

"It's all a matter of time. You haven't been a wolf that long, yet alone an alpha. It was decades before I took my first pack member on."

"Decades?" He seemed amused. "Just how old are you?"

I gave him a coy smile. "Hasn't anyone ever told you not to ask a woman's age?"

It was later that night that I relieved Nick and Lilly. I gave the whole pack the night off as I camped in the woods outside Bella's window. There was no need for more than one of us. How much trouble could she get in? I was there when her father got home, greeting her with a gruff hello before dragging himself upstairs. He looked so much like Samson, it was almost startling. I wondered if he would recognize Tyler. It would probably be best to avoid any contact.

Movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. With a warning growl, I turned on the wolf. His mind practically screamed at me, uncensored and generally angry with everything. I knew instantly that this must have been Jacob Black.

'You're Alex, right?'

'Yes. Jacob?'

His large head bobbed once before turning towards Bella's window. She was whimpering in her sleep. Images flashed through Jacob's mind. He had a close relationship with her, and it killed him to see her like this. Once again, my mind turned to Emmett. I wondered where he was now… if he was happy. The blonde promised to take care of him, I could only hope she meant it.

'She wasn't always like this.' Jacob directed his thoughts towards me.

Once again images flashed through his mind. She was bad when the leeches first left, but she was getting better with Jacob's help.

'It's hard, to watch someone you love suffer. Especially when you know there is nothing you can do about it.'

I could hear him wondering if I was speaking from experience. 'How do you keep your mind so quiet?'

'Practice.'

Once again, his mind turned to Bella. 'I don't even know if she's my imprint. Sam won't let me look at her. He won't even let me anywhere near her!'

'He's just worried. Once you gain more control, I'm sure he'll let you talk to her again.'

'It was working though… She was… I was fixing her…"

"We'll keep her safe until you can step back in."

We spent the rest of the night in our own heads. I respectfully stayed out of his thoughts, most of which were about Bella. I found myself rooting for the kid. It would be so easy for both of them if he imprinted on her. With a sigh, I turned my eyes back to Bella's window. Fate was never that fair though.

AN: Reviews are loved!