Alright guys, I only own Raine, Mark, and Tristan thats it! I copied the book as you will noticed at that one part. I do NOT take credit for that lol so I am telling now lol...read and review and enjoy! PLEASE REVIEW!


"That was good Lulu." Raine said as she put her plate into the sink.

"I happen to agree with that." replied Mark as he did the same as Raine.

Tristan smiled at the two of them as she was putting the rest of the food into bowls and putting the rest into the fridge. Raine started doing the dishes once her sister was done and sitting down in the chair in the corner of the kitchen.

"Thanks." Tristan said looking at her.

Raine nodded at her as she kept doing what she was doing.

"So how was school going?" Tristan asked as she took a sip of sweet tea.

"Alright, I've noticed that certain people like to keep to themselves rather then socialize." Raine replied as she was rinsing one the pots.

"I got some news I think you might like." Tristan said with a small laugh. "You got a phone call today, out of the odd I was getting use to them popping up every where." She added laughing.

Raine turned around quickly to see her sister's face was smiling brightly.

"It appears as if somebody wants to take you out on a date." Tristan said as Raine's smile just grin just went across her face. "You might want to give Paul a call. He called earlier before you got home and told me to tell you to call him and he was all like giggling so I figured that is what he is going to ask. So let me finish up the dishes and you go call lover boy." She added.

Without being told twice Raine quickly grabbed the phone from the counter top and skipped out of the kitchen while Tristan went to the sink to finish.

"May I come in?"

Tristan turned around to see Jacob standing in the door way with the door open.

"Sure." Tristan said nodding. "Just close the door." She added.

Jacob walked into the room and smiled a little bit as he watched her finish the dishes.

"Paul is siked you know?" Jacob said as Tristan wiped her hands on a dishcloth. "Since you know everything about that certain thing." He added.

"I figured as much because he was all giggly like a girl would be in highschool about her first date with the quarter back." replied Tristan as she laughed.

He nodded in agreement as she took a sip of her drink.

"You know you pissed him off right?" Jacob asked with a raised eye brow.

"Are you preferring to a Sam?" asked Tristan with a grin on her face. "Then if so then I am glad." She added.

Jacob shook his head as Tristan was beaming a smile.

"You are just one weird girl or you've got a death wish." Jacob said shaking his head.

Smiling Tristan just stared at him.

"Trust me Jacob, I don't have a death wish but I am very weird in more ways then one." replied Tristan with a wink. "Come on half teenager let's go into the living room." She added.

Jacob shook his head as he followed Tristan into the living room to see Raine was on the phone laughing like a highschool girl with a crush.

Jacob nodded at Raine who smiled brightly at him. Tristan crossed her arms over her chest as she watched her sister. Their uncle smiled at the site before him as Jacob stood next to Tristan.

"Another reason that I am here is that I was sit here by my father to see if the two of you wanted to come to a bonfire tonight with a bunch of the guys." Jacob said with grin on his face. "Paul will be there." He added as Raine hung up the phone.

Tristan looked at her Uncle Mark who was smiling.

"I've been there before it is interesting. Also I know that you've been before Tristan." replied Mark "So if you are looking for permission to see if you can go by all means go." He added.

Before Tristan could reply Raine was already running up the stairs in record time.

"I guess we are going then." Tristan said laughing. "Let me go get cleaned up and we will meet up at your place?" She added.

"Actually I believe that we will end up meeting up here. Paul wants to be able to show up with your sister." replied Jacob as Tristan nodded at him.

Jacob nodded at Mark as he walked out of the house as Tristan went up stairs almost at the speed of her sister.

~*Tristan's Room*~

"How do these things work?" asked Raine as she stood in her sister's doorway.

Tristan slipped her tennis shoes on and smiled at her sister.

"It is cold and it might rain so something warm would benefit you but since your going to be near a fire and Paul I think maybe a long sleeve shirt and a jacket til we get there." replied Tristan standing up slowly from her bed.

Raine nodded at her and walked out of the doorway. Tristan grabbed her brush from her bag and quickly ran it through her locks. Grabbing her light jacket from the end of the bed she walked down the stairs with Raine close behind her. Mark moved away from the door to show Jacob standing at the door with Paul close behind him. Tristan slipped her jacket on as Raine had hers already on.

"Alright Mark we promise that they are good hands." Jacob said a grin on his face.

"I know they are in good hands." replied Mark with a smile.

He nodded as the four of them quickly disappeared into the dark night. He walked over to the window in the living room and moved back the curtains just a little bit to see that Raine was climbing into the back of Jacob's Rabbit. Tristan slid her way into the front seat with a grin on her face. Mark laughed a little bit as he sat down on the couch turning his attention back to the game that was on TV.

~*BonFire*~

Tristan watched as her sister was holding onto Paul's hand as he led her through the woods.

"Are you scared?" asked Paul looking at Raine.

"Should I be?" Raine asked with a small laugh.

Smiling in the dark Tristan was watching her baby sister. Turning her attention away Tristan turned her head as the sound of a dirt bike was roaring closer. Raine stopped in her tracks as well but then quickly started walking once more as Paul pulled her. Shaking her head she knew what she was about to see as she started walking towards the fire that was lighting up the night sky.

"I'll meet you there." Jacob shouted over the roaring of a engine.

"Alright." Tristan said shaking her head as she adjusted her jacket against the wind as it blew.

Walking out of the darken forest, Tristan noticed Jacob was now leaning back against Bella's knees and toyed with a hot dog that he had on a straightened wire hanger. He heaved a sigh and patted his stomach as Raine just watched the action in front of her from her seat beside Paul.

"Thanks, man," Paul said nodding at him as Jacob handed him the hot dog.

Raine smiled as she looked around at the people gathering up around the fire. Tristan watched as Emily gave Bella's hand a gentle squeeze as they sat down on a rock. Raine looked at her sister's face and knew that something was bothering her but knew better then to push it then and there. Sam looked up to see Tristan sitting beside Quil and Embry.

"Thanks." Tristan said as she was handed a coke.

She put the can on the ground beside the rock she was sitting on. Billy cleared his throat, and, with no more introduction than his son's whisper, began telling a story in his rich, deep voice. The words poured out with precision, as if knew them by heart. But also with feeling and subtle rhythm. Like poetry performed by it's author.

"The Quileutes have been small people from the beginning." Billy said. "And we are small people, still but we have never disappeared. This is beacause there has lways been magic in our blood. It wasn't always the magic of shape-shifting. That came later. First, we were spirit warriors."

Tristan watched as Emily's pen sprinted across sheets of paper as she appeared to try to keep up with him.

"In the beginning, the tribe settled in this harbor and became skilled ship builders and fishermen. But the tribe was small, and the harbor was rich in fish. There were others, who coveted our land, and we were too small to hold it. A larger tribe moved against us, and we took to our ships to escape them."

"Kaheleha was not the first spirit warriors, but we do not remember the stories that came before his. We do not remember who was the first to discover this power, or how it had been used before this crisis. Kaheleha was the first great Spirit Chief in our history. In this emergency, Kaheleha used the magic to defend our land." Billy said staring into the fire.

"He and all of his warriors left the shipt not their bodies, but their spirits. Their women watched over the bodies and the waves, and the men took their spirits back to our harbor."

"They could not physically touch the enemy tribe, but they had other ways. The stories tell us that they could blow fierce winds into their enemy's camps; they could make a great screaming in the word that would terrified their foes. The stories also tells us that the animals could see the spirit warriors and understand them; the animals would do their bidding.

"Kaheleha took his spirit army and wreaked havoc on the intruders. This invading tribe had packs of big, thick furred dogs that they used to pull their sleds in the frozen north. The spirit warriors turned the dogs against their masters and then brought a mighty infestation of bats up from the cliffs caverns. They used the screaming wind to aid the dogs into confusing the men. The dogs and bats won. The survivors scattered, calling our harbor a cursed place. The dogs ran wild when the spirit warriors released them. The Quileutes returned to their bodies and their wives, victorious.

"The other nearby tribes, the Hohs and the Makahs, made treaties with the Quileutes. They wanted nothing to do with our magic. We lived in peace with them. When an enemy came against us, the spirit warriors would drive them off.

"Generations passed. Then came the last great spirits Chief, Taha Aki. He was known for his wisdom, and for being a man of peace. The people lived well and content in his care.

"But there was on man, Utlapa, who was not content."

Tristan looked up the same time Bella did as they both heard a low hiss ran around the fire it appeared. But Billy ignored it and went on with the legend.

"Utlapa was one of Chief Taha Aki's strongest spirit warriors —a powerful man, but a grasping man, too. He thought the people should use their magic to expand their lands, to enslave the Hohs and the Makahs and build an empire.

"Now, when the warriors were their spirit selves, they knew each others thoughts. Taha Aki saw what Utlapa dreamed, and was angry with Utlapa. Utlapa as commanded to leave the people, and never use his spirit self again. Utlapa was a strong man, but the chief's warriors outnumbered him. He had no choice but to leave. The furious outcast hid in the forest nearby, waiting for a chance to get revenge against the chief.

"Even in times of peace, the Spirit chief was vigilant in protecting his people. Often, he would go to a sacred, secret place in the mountains. He would leave his body behind and sweep down through the forest and along the coast, making sure no threat approached.

"One day when Taha Aki left to perform this duty, Utlapa followed. At first, Utlapa simply planned to kill the chief, but this plan had it's drawback. Surely the spirit warriors would seek to destroy him, and they could follow fast than he could escape. As he hid in the rocks and watched the chief prepare to leave his body, another plan occurred to him.

"Taha Aki left his body in the secret place and flew with the winds to keep watch over his people. Utlapa waited until he was sure the chief had traveld some distance with his spirit self.

"Taha Aki knew it the instant that Utlapa had joined him in the spirit world, and he also knew that Utlapa's murderous plan. He raced back to his secret place, but even the winds weren't fast enough to face him. When he returned, his body was already gone. Utlapa's body lay abandoned, but Utlapa had not left Taha Aki with an escape he had cut his own body's throat with Taha Aki's hand.

"Taha Aki followed his body down the mountain. He screamed at Utlapa, but Utlapa's ignored him as if he were mere wind.

"Taha Aki watched with dispair as Utlapa took his place as chief of the Quileutes. For a few weeks, Utlapa did nothing but make sure that everyone believe he was Taha Aki. Then the changes began- Utlapa's first edict was to forbid any warrior to enter the spirit world. He claimed that he'd had vision of danger, but he really was afraid. He knew that Taha Aki would be waiting for the chance to tell his story. Utlapa was also afaird to enter the spirit world himself, knowing that Taha Aki would quickly claim his body. So his dreams of conquest with a spirit warrior army were impossible, and he sought to content himself with rulling over the tribe. He became a burden - seeking privileges that Taha Aki had never requested, refusing to work alongside his warriors, taking a young second wife and then a third, through Taha Aki's wife lived on - something unheard of in the tribe. Taha Aki watched in helpless fury.

"Eventually, Taha Aki tried to kill his body to save the tribe from Utlapa's excesses. He brought a fierce wolf down from the mountains, but Utlapa hid behind his warriors. When the wolf killed a young man who was protecing the false chief, Taha Aki felt horrible grief. He ordered the wolf away.

"All the stories tell us that it was no easy thing to be a spirit warrior. It was more fightening than exhilarating to be freed from one's body. This is why they only used their magic in times of need. The chief's solitary journeys to keep watch were burden and sacrifice. Being a bodiless was disorienting, uncomfortable, horrifying. Taha Aki had been away from his body for long at this point that he was in agony. He felt he was doomed- never to cross over to the final land where his ancestors waited, stuck in this torturous nothingness forever.

"The great wolf followed Taha Aki's spirit as he twisted and writhed in agony through the woods. The wolf was very large for it's kind, and beautiful. Taha Aki was suddenly jealous of the dumb animal. At least it had a body. At least it had a life. Even life as an animal would be better than this horrible empty consciousness.

"And then Taha Aki had the idea that changed us all. He asked the great wolf to make room for him, to share. The wolf complied. Taka Aki entered the wolf's body with relief and gratitude. It was not his human body, but it was better than the void of the spirit world.

"As one, the man and the wolf returned to the village on the harbor. The people ran in fear, shouting for the warroirs to come. The warriors ran to meet the wolf with their spears. Utlapa, of course, stayed safely hidden.

"Taha Aki did not attack his warrirors. He retreated slow from them, speaking with his eyes and trying to yelp the songs of his people. The warriors began to realize that the wofl was no ordinary animal, that there was a spirit inflencing it. One older warriro, a man named Yut, decided to disobey the false chief's orders and try to communicate with the wolf

"As soon as Yut crossed to the spirit world, Taha Aki left the wolf — the animal waited tamely for his
return — to speak to him. Yut gathered the truth in an instant, and welcomed his true chief home.
"At this time, Utlapa came to see if the wolf had been defeated. When he saw Yut lying lifeless on the
ground, surrounded by protective warriors, he realized what was happening. He drew his knife and raced forward to kill Yut before he could return to his body.

"'Traitor,' he screamed, and the warriors did not know what to do. The chief had forbidden spirit journeys, and it was the chief's decision how to punish those who disobeyed.

"Yut jumped back into his body, but Utlapa had his knife at his throat and a hand covering his mouth.
Taha Aki's body was strong, and Yut was weak with age. Yut could not say even one word to warn the
others before Utlapa silenced him forever.

"Taha Aki watched as Yut's spirit slipped away to the final lands that were barred to Taha Aki for all
eternity. He felt a great rage, more powerful than anything he'd felt before. He entered the big wolf again,meaning to rip Utlapa's throat out. But, as he joined the wolf, the greatest magic happened."Taha Aki's anger was the anger of a man. The love he had for his people and the hatred he had for their oppressor were too vast for the wolf's body, too human. The wolf shuddered, and — before the eyes of the shocked warriors and Utlapa — transformed into a man.

"The new man did not look like Taha Aki's body. He was far more glorious. He was the flesh interpretation of Taha Aki's spirit. The warriors recognized him at once, though, for they had flown with Taha Aki's spirit.

"Utlapa tried to run, but Taha Aki had the strength of the wolf in his new body. He caught the thief and
crushed the spirit from him before he could jump out of the stolen body.

"The people rejoiced when they understood what had happened. Taha Aki quickly set everything right,
working again with his people and giving the young wives back to their families. The only change he kept in place was the end of the spirit travels. He knew that it was too dangerous now that the idea of stealing a life was there. The spirit warriors were no more.

"From that point on, Taha Aki was more than either wolf or man. They called him Taha Aki the Great
Wolf, or Taha Aki the Spirit Man. He led the tribe for many, many years, for he did not age. When
danger threatened, he would resume his wolf-self to fight or frighten the enemy. The people dwelt in
peace. Taha Aki fathered many sons, and some of these found that, after they had reached the age of
manhood, they, too, could transform into wolves. The wolves were all different, because they were spirit
wolves and reflected the man they were inside."

"So that's why Sam is all black," Quil muttered under his breath, grinning. "Black heart, black fur."
I was so involved in the story, it was a shock to come back to the present, to the circle around the dying
fire. With another shock, I realized that the circle was made up of Taha Aki's great — to however many
degrees — grandsons.

The fire threw a volley of sparks into the sky, and they shivered and danced, making shapes that were
almost decipherable.

"And your chocolate fur reflects what?" Sam whispered back to Quil. "Howsweet you are?"

"That would explain a lot since Sam is just a piece of crap." Tristan said under her breath hoping no body would hear her comment about the leader.

Billy ignored their jibes.

"Some of the sons became warriors with Taha Aki, and they no longer aged.

Others, who did not like the transformation, refused to join the pack of wolf-men. These began to age
again, and the tribe discovered that the wolf-men could grow old like anyone else if they gave up their
spirit wolves. Taha Aki had lived the span of three old men's lives. He had married a third wife after the
deaths of the first two, and found in her his true spirit wife. Though he had loved the others, this was
something else. He decided to give up his spirit wolf so that he would die when she did

.
"That is how the magic came to us, but it is not the end of the story. . . ."

He looked at Old Quil Ateara, who shifted in his chair, straightening his frail shoulders. Billy took a drink from a bottle of water and wiped his forehead. Emily's pen never hesitated as she scribbled furiously on the paper.

"That was the story of the spirit warriors," Old Quil began in a thin tenor voice. "This is the story of the
third wife's sacrifice.

"Many years after Taha Aki gave up his spirit wolf, when he was an old man, trouble began in the north, with the Makahs. Several young women of their tribe had disappeared, and they blamed it on the
neighboring wolves, who they feared and mistrusted. The wolf-men could still read each other's thoughts while in their wolf forms, just like their ancestors had while in their spirit forms. They knew that none of their number was to blame. Taha Aki tried to pacify the Makah chief, but there was too much fear. Taha Aki did not want to have a war on his hands. He was no longer a warrior to lead his people. He charged his oldest wolf-son, Taha Wi, with finding the true culprit before hostilities began.

"Taha Wi led the five other wolves in his pack on a search through the mountains, looking for any
evidence of the missing Makahs. They came across something they had never encountered before — a
strange, sweet scent in the forest that burned their noses to the point of pain.

Raine watched as Bella shrank a little closer to Jacob's side. As she saw the corner of his mouth twitch with humor, and his arm tightened around her tiny waist.

"They did not know what creature would leave such a scent, but they followed it," Old Quil continued.
His quavering voice did not have the majesty of Billy's, but it had a strange, fierce edge of urgency about it. My pulse jumped as his words came faster.

"They found faint traces of human scent, and human blood, along the trail. They were sure this was the
enemy they were searching for.

"The journey took them so far north that Taha Wi sent half the pack, the younger ones, back to the harbor to report to Taha Aki.

"Taha Wi and his two brothers did not return.

"The younger brothers searched for their elders, but found only silence. Taha Aki mourned for his sons.
He wished to avenge his sons' death, but he was old. He went to the Makah chief in his mourning clothes and told him everything that had happened. The Makah chief believed his grief, and tensions ended between the tribes.

"A year later, two Makah maidens disappeared from their homes on the same night. The Makahs called
on the Quileute wolves at once, who found the same sweet stink all through the Makah village. The
wolves went on the hunt again.

"Only one came back. He was Yaha Uta, the oldest son of Taka Aki's third wife, and the youngest in
the pack. He brought something with him that had never been seen in all the days of the Quileutes — a
strange, cold, stony corpse that he carried in pieces. All who were of Taha Aki's blood, even those who
had never been wolves, could smell the piercing smell of the dead creature. This was the enemy of the
Makahs.

"Yaha Uta described what had happened: he and his brothers had found the creature, who looked like a
man but was hard as a granite rock, with the two Makah daughters. One girl was already dead, white
and bloodless on the ground. The other was in the creature's arms, his mouth at her throat. She may have been alive when they came upon the hideous scene, but the creature quickly snapped her neck and
tossed her lifeless body to the ground when they approached. His white lips were covered in her blood,
and his eyes glowed red.

"Yaha Uta described the fierce strength and speed of the creature. One of his brothers quickly became a
victim when he underestimated that strength. The creature ripped him apart like a doll. Yaha Uta and his other brother were more wary. They worked together, coming at the creature from the sides,
outmaneuvering it. They had to reach the very limits of their wolf strength and speed, something that had never been tested before. The creature was hard as stone and cold as ice. They found that only their
teeth could damage it. They began to rip small pieces of the creature apart while it fought them.
"But the creature learned quickly, and soon was matching their maneuvers. It got its hands on Yaha
Uta's brother. Yaha Uta found an opening on the creature's throat, and he lunged. His teeth tore the
head off the creature, but the hands continued to mangle his brother.

"Yaha Uta ripped the creature into unrecognizable chunks, tearing pieces apart in a desperate attempt to
save his brother. He was too late, but, in the end, the creature was destroyed.

"Or so they thought. Yaha Uta laid the reeking remains out to be examined by the elders. One severed
hand lay beside a piece of the creature's granite arm. The two pieces touched when the elders poked
them with sticks, and the hand reached out towards the arm piece, trying to reassemble itself.

"Horrified, the elders set fire to the remains. A great cloud of choking, vile smoke polluted the air. When there was nothing but ashes, they separated the ashes into many small bags and spread them far and wide— some in the ocean, some in the forest, some in the cliff caverns. Taha Aki wore one bag around his neck, so he would be warned if the creature ever tried to put himself together again."

Old Quil paused and looked at Billy. Billy pulled out a leather thong from around his neck. Hanging from the end was a small bag, blackened with age. A few people gasped.

"They called it The Cold One, the Blood Drinker, and lived in fear that it was not alone. They only had
one wolf protector left, young Yaha Uta.

"They did not have long to wait. The creature had a mate, another blood drinker, who came to the
Quileutes seeking revenge.

"The stories say that the Cold Woman was the most beautiful thing human eyes had ever seen. She
looked like the goddess of the dawn when she entered the village that morning; the sun was shining for
once, and it glittered off her white skin and lit the golden hair that flowed down to her knees. Her face
was magical in its beauty, her eyes black in her white face. Some fell to their knees to worship her.

"She asked something in a high, piercing voice, in a language no one had ever heard. The people were
dumbfounded, not knowing how to answer her. There was none of Taha Aki's blood among the
witnesses but one small boy. He clung to his mother and screamed that the smell was hurting his nose.
One of the elders, on his way to council, heard the boy and realized what had come among them. He
yelled for the people to run. She killed him first.

"There were twenty witnesses to the Cold Woman's approach. Two survived, only because she grew
distracted by the blood, and paused to sate her thirst. They ran to Taha Aki, who sat in counsel with the
other elders, his sons, and his third wife.

"Yaha Uta transformed into his spirit wolf as soon as he heard the news. He went to destroy the blood
drinker alone. Taha Aki, his third wife, his sons, and his elders followed behind him.

"At first they could not find the creature, only the evidence of her attack. Bodies lay broken, a few
drained of blood, strewn across the road where she'd appeared. Then they heard the screams and
hurried to the harbor.

"A handful of the Quileutes had run to the ships for refuge. She swam after them like a shark, and broke the bow of their boat with her incredible strength. When the ship sank, she caught those trying to swim away and broke them, too.

"She saw the great wolf on the shore, and she forgot the fleeing swimmers. She swam so fast she was a
blur and came, dripping and glorious, to stand before Yaha Uta. She pointed at him with one white finger and asked another incomprehensible question. Yaha Uta waited.

"It was a close fight. She was not the warrior her mate had been. But Yaha Uta was alone — there was
no one to distract her fury from him.

"When Yaha Uta lost, Taha Aki screamed in defiance. He limped forward and shifted into an ancient,
white-muzzled wolf. The wolf was old, but this was Taha Aki the Spirit Man, and his rage made him
strong. The fight began again.

"Taha Aki's third wife had just seen her son die before her. Now her husband fought, and she had no
hope that he could win. She'd heard every word the witnesses to the slaughter had told the council.
She'd heard the story of Yaha Uta's first victory, and knew that his brother's diversion had saved him.

"The third wife grabbed a knife from the belt of one of the sons who stood beside her. They were all
young sons, not yet men, and she knew they would die when their father failed.

"The third wife ran toward the Cold Woman with the dagger raised high. The Cold Woman smiled,
barely distracted from her fight with the old wolf. She had no fear of the weak human woman or the knife that would not even scratch her skin, and she was about to deliver the death blow to Taha Aki.

"And then the third wife did something the Cold Woman did not expect. She fell to her knees at the
blood drinker's feet and plunged the knife into her own heart.

"Blood spurted through the third wife's fingers and splashed against the Cold Woman. The blood
drinker could not resist the lure of the fresh blood leaving the third wife's body. Instinctively, she turned to the dying woman, for one second entirely consumed by thirst

"Taha Aki's teeth closed around her neck.

"That was not the end of the fight, but Taha Aki was not alone now. Watching their mother die, two
young sons felt such rage that they sprang forth as their spirit wolves, though they were not yet men. With their father, they finished the creature.

"Taha Aki never rejoined the tribe. He never changed back to a man again. He lay for one day beside
the body of the third wife, growling whenever anyone tried to touch her, and then he went into the forest and never returned.

"Trouble with the cold ones was rare from that time on. Taha Aki's sons guarded the tribe until their
sons were old enough to take their places. There were never more than three wolves at a time. It was
enough. Occasionally a blood drinker would come through these lands, but they were taken by surprise,
not expecting the wolves. Sometimes a wolf would die, but never were they decimated again like that first time. They'd learned how to fight the cold ones, and they passed the knowledge on, wolf mind to wolf mind, spirit to spirit, father to son.

"Time passed, and the descendants of Taha Aki no longer became wolves when they reached manhood.
Only in a great while, if a cold one was near, would the wolves return. The cold ones always came in
ones and twos, and the pack stayed small.

"A bigger coven came, and your own great-grandfathers prepared to fight them off. But the leader
spoke to Ephraim Black as if he were a man, and promised not to harm the Quileutes. His strange yellow eyes gave some proof to his claim that they were not the same as other blood drinkers. The wolves were outnumbered; there was no need for the cold ones to offer a treaty when they could have won the fight. Ephraim accepted. They've stayed true to their side, though their presence does tend to draw in others.

"And their numbers have forced a larger pack than the tribe has ever seen," Old Quil said, and for one
moment his black eyes, all but buried in the wrinkles of skin folded around them, seemed to rest on me.
"Except, of course, in Taha Aki's time," he said, and then he sighed.

"And so the sons of our tribe again carry the burden and share the sacrifice their fathers endured before them."

All was silent for a long moment. The living descendants of magic and legend stared at one another
across the fire with sadness in their eyes. All but one.

"Burden," he scoffed in a low voice. "I think it's cool."

Quil's full lower lip pouted out a little bit.
Across the dying fire, Seth Clearwater — his eyes wide with adulation for the fraternity of tribal
protectors — nodded his agreement.

Billy chuckled, low and long, and the magic seemed to fade into the glowing embers. Suddenly, it was
just a circle of friends again. Jared flicked a small stone at Quil, and everyone laughed when it made him jump. Low conversations murmured around us, teasing and casual.

Leah Clearwater's eyes did not open. Tristan shook her head for a second as Billy watched her with a close eye causing to share at him. Raine put her head on Paul's shoulder causing him to get some cat calls from other guys around the fire. Standing up slowly Tristan watched as Jacob picked up Bella as if she was nothing. The fire was now almost gone as Paul picked up Raine who had fallen asleep. Turning her attention as the others were leaving she noticed Sam looking at her as Emily was speaking to her.

"Goodnight Tristan dear." Billy said as he was wheeled over by Leigh. "You know your sister will have questions about the stories tonight. You know what to do." He added.

Tristan nodded at him and kissed his cheek.

"Tell Jake that I'll catch up with him tomorrow sometime." replied Tristan with a nod. "Nice to see you Leigh." She added.