Author s Note: I m not much of a fan of Jacob, but I need this for the story. This chapter starts about a couple hours before the last chapter ended.
Jacob s PoV
Thunder boomed in the clouds miles from La Push, but I could still hear it as plainly as if it was a crack from a matador s bull-whip. A storm would be here soon. I groaned, cursing the storm clouds. Just perfect. I was planning another bonfire, and a storm would totally ruin it.
Shortly after my pack and I left the Cullen s house the previous night, I planned an emergency meeting. I needed to talk to the Elders and the pack all at once. I needed to tell the story, and I didn t want to repeat myself. The plan was simple. Announce a special bonfire party. Knowing Leah, she would invite that werewolf-imprint of hers.
Leah, of course, didn t know her new boyfriend was a werewolf, but she was about to get a big surprise. I would be foolish to allow Louis to roam freely around the Quileute lands. I would have to reveal him for what he was. I was the Alpha of my pack, and I was definitely not a foolish man.
I didn t tell anyone, not even Bella or the Cullens, but I felt that it was my job to deal with Louis Grayson. I felt as if he was a spy. A traitor to Leah. A traitor to the Quileute tribe who was beginning to trust him. The more and more I thought about it, I realized that this is what Louis plan was all along. I knew then, and I felt foolish not to realize this before, that the werewolves knew exactly what the Quileutes were. Louis knew there was a chance that Leah could imprint on him, and he made sure that she laid her eyes on him.
I hoped that werewolves didn t know what the Cullens were, especially when it meant that it would put my friends in danger. If the werewolves found out there were vampires in the area, there would definitely be a war. People would get hurt. More normal, everyday humans would get hurt. I wouldn t let that happen in La Push. I wouldn t let it happen in Forks. I would have to do something about it.
But what? If what Bella told me was true, then only vampire venom could kill a werewolf. Hmmph. That figures. A vampire would have to save the day again. Well, I might not be able to kill the werewolves, but I definitely could hurt them. My mouth watered at the thought.
Hoping beyond hope that the thunder storm would only be a sound-and-light show, I gathered a bunch of logs and started the bonfire. As the fire started, I undressed, then tossed the clothes aside and phased into my wolfish form.
Hello? I said, Anyone there?
Hey, Jake!
Yes, sir!
It was Seth and Embry. I grinned.
Good. The emergency meeting is still on. I got a bonfire roaring. Embry, contact the rest of the pack and the Elders. Tell them to meet us in the field near my house. Seth, you find your sister. I want this done pronto guys! There may be rain coming.
What about Leah s boyfriend? Seth said.
Invite him too.
But Jake --
Just do it! Oh and guys? Please show up in your human form. We don t want to scare Louis. Yet.
Yes, sir!
Good. Part one of the plan was in the works. I phased back into my human form and put my clothes back on.
Thought I heard a fire going, my dad s familiar voice said.
I turned and noticed that Billy was rolling out of the house in his wheel-chair.
Yep, Jacob said.
Going to tell the pack about the werewolves? Billy asked.
I narrowed my eyebrows. I hadn t told Billy about that.
How do you know that? I asked.
Charlie, Billy said, simply.
Right. Charlie tells Billy anything. There were definitely pros and cons for being back in the good books with the Forks sheriff.
Do you know about Leah s boyfriend? I asked.
What about him? Billy asked.
I snorted. Billy hadn t heard everything then.
He s a werewolf, Dad, I said.
You let a damn werewolf roam my land! Billy yelled.
I didn t know he was a werewolf until Bella told me yesterday! I retorted.
I need to go tell Sue, Billy said, putting his hands on the wheels of his chair.
No! I said, quickly, Not yet. Leah s bringing Louis over tonight. She can t know Louis secret until I force it out of him.
Be careful, boy, Billy said, You don t know the stories of the werewolves.
And you do? I asked.
I know a lot more than you think I do, son, Billy said.
Right, I said, And yet I find it funny that you didn t know about Louis.
Watch your tone, boy! Billy said, his voice rough, You may be Alpha of your pack, but I m still Alpha of the family.
I laughed silently. Right. Some Alpha he is. Last time I checked, he was the one in a wheelchair.
You got company, Jacob, Billy said, nodding over my shoulder, And please keep an eye on that bonfire of yours. I don t need my land burned to a damn crisp!
I turned around. Embry, Quil and Paul, all in their human forms, were walking down the hill toward my house.
The Elders can t come, Jake, Embry said, I apologize, man. I tried everything.
I growled. Damn it. I felt my brilliant plan going down the toilet.
Did you tell them it was urgent? I asked, furious.
I just said I tried everything, didn t I?! Embry said, frightened.
Calm down, it s all right, I said.
I rolled my eyes. Yeah, it was just fine. And I m a vampire. Ha! I groaned. This was not going how I wanted it to go.
I need to warn you, I said, Tonight is going to get kind of rough.
We re not frightened of some storm clouds, Jake, Paul said, laughing.
I m not talking about the damn storm! I said, sighing.
As soon as I said that, I heard a thunder clap a few miles away.
What s going on, Chief? Quil asked.
My friends, I said, We have a traitor on our lands.
Quil and Paul looked at each other. Both looked confused.
Leah s boyfriend is a werewolf, I said.
Cries of outrage broke out of Quil and Paul.
Calm yourselves! I said, As your Alpha, I order you not to say anything to Leah. All right? I ll handle this myself. Leah doesn t know that her boyfriend is a werewolf. And we are going to let Louis tell her. Tonight.
Why do you think he would do that? Quil asked.
Because if he doesn t, I said, I will beat him to an inch of his life.
Why can t we just kill him? Paul asked, popping his knuckles audibly on each hand.
Because there is only one way to kill a werewolf, I said.
Which is? Embry asked.
Vampire venom, I said, shrugging.
Quil snorted, and Paul spat on the ground.
So it leaves us defenseless?! Paul demanded.
I said we can t kill them, Paul, I said, I didn t say we couldn t hurt them.
Yeah, Embry said, Is the skin around your skull that thick?!
Quil laughed. Paul growled.
Paul, stop it, I ordered, Embry, leave him alone. Quil just shut up.
Guess who s here?! I heard Seth s voice ring out.
I looked up the hill. Seth, Leah and Louis had arrived.
Little red riding hood, Paul muttered, And the big bad wolf.
Quil and Embry snickered.
Boys, I warned, Go tend to the fire. Now.
You sure you can handle yourself? Paul asked.
What did I say, Paul? I grumbled.
Yes, your highness! Paul said, in the middle of a mock-bow.
I rolled my eyes and straightened myself up.
Welcome to the party! I said to Seth, Leah and Louis.
Excellent, Seth said, Bonfire! Where s the marshmallows?!
How long is this party going to last? Louis asked.
Why? I asked, in a taunting manner, Afraid of the dark?
Louis narrowed his eyes slightly, and I laughed.
Jacob, be nice, Leah said, Louis is just worried about the bad weather.
Oh, yes, I said, Of course, Louis, I m sorry. Believe me, I wish it was a clear moonlit night too!
I noticed that Louis avoided my eyesight.
Er, Leah, he said, We should get closer to the fire. It s getting kind of cold, eh?
Sure, Louis! Leah said, awestruck.
I rolled my eyes. As Leah and Louis walked toward the fire, I saw Louis look over his shoulder at me. I grinned when I noticed he looked kind of worried.
Hey, Louis! Paul said, as I made my way over to the bonfire, Are you hungry? I have some marshmallows and some S mores. You know, I bet if I looked hard enough, I could find some moon pies too!
Paul looked at me and grinned. I had to hand it to him. He could be funny when he wanted to.
Marshmallow would be fine, Louis said, stiffly.
So Leah, I said, We missed you at Bella and Nessie s party yesterday. Where were you?
Louis and I decided to have a little fun of our own, Leah said.
Embry and Seth looked disgusted. Paul and Quil snorted. Leah rolled her eyes at them.
You guys are so immature, she scowled.
Paul stuck out his tongue.
So, Chief! Embry asked me, What s on the agenda tonight?
Well, I said, I thought you guys would like to hear a little story first.
I turned and looked at our house.
Hey, Dad! I called.
A moment later, the front door opened. Billy wheeled out onto the porch.
What do you want? Billy asked, I m watching a game!
You know that story you mentioned to me briefly a little while ago? I asked.
Yeah, Billy said, suspiciously, Why?
Can you tell us the story? I asked, I mean. I would tell it if I knew it. But like you said, I don t know everything.
All right, Billy said, Help me over near the fire.
I walked over to Billy and started pushing his chair toward the fire.
So which one is he? Billy whispered, under his breath.
I knew Billy was talking about Louis.
The only one who isn t giving Leah her personal space, I muttered.
Louis had his arm around Leah. Leah looked thrilled.
Aha, Billy whispered, nodding, I hope you know what you re doing.
Just don t mention werewolves until the last bit of your tale, I whispered.
I moved Billy to where the firelight was fixed on him.
So, Billy said. You know, tonight is a really good night for a tale. I just wish it was a little less cloudy. Would have really set the mood, you know.
I sighed. My dad really needed to learn how to be a little more cautious, and a little less obvious.
I think most of you know, Billy said, That one of the names for the Quileutes are people of the moon. If you truly think about that name, then you might find it weird for a description for us. Like, you know, it doesn t really belong. Well, there is a good explanation for that. My story is called the War of the Name.
Billy let the name settle into his audience s minds.
You see, the Quileutes weren t always referred to as the people of the moon , he said after a moment, We had to earn that name. The former owners of the name were another tribe of natives. Most historians don t know of this tribe. They are of no relation to our tribe. The elders believe that their tribe is cousins of the Sioux Tribe, though I don t even expect most of the Sioux people know that.
I looked at Louis, who seemed immersed in the tale. I guessed that even he didn t know this story.
By the end of the tale, Billy said, You will know why very little is known about this tribe. The true name of the tribe is relatively unknown, and the Elders only refer to them now as the Migra, or in the common tongue, a migrant. These Migra were a powerful tribe. The Elders believed they were first formed under the bright moonlight, but of course that sounds a little silly if you think about it. But it would explain why they were once called the people of the moon . The Quileutes of the olden times realized that the Migra had very similar qualities to their tribe. A select few of the Migra s tribe members were taller than their normal companions. They were also stronger and faster. Well, as you know, a few of the Quileutes were also taller, stronger and faster than their normal companions.
He smiled at me and my pack.
Just like some of you are, he said, This proves that there is truth in this tale. Remember that. It will be another useful tidbit of knowledge for the end of the story.
I noticed, then, that Billy was looking at Leah and Louis when he said this last bit.
The Quileutes soon became afraid of the Migra tribe, he continued, Their fear turned into jealousy. Their jealousy turned into anger. The Quileutes wanted to make sure no other tribe was like theirs. So, they went on a journey. They confronted the Migra tribe. The Quileutes, as you know, are a peaceful tribe. They tried to overcome their anger. When they met up with the Migra, they ordered the tribe to leave and never return. If they refused, the Quileutes would attack in three days. Three days passed, the Quileutes got no response. They returned to the Migra s tribe. When they arrived, there was only a few people left. The Migras that stayed said that their fellow tribe mates had indeed moved away. The few that were left were there to make sure the Quileutes never found out where the tribe went. Our descendants took this the wrong way of course. The leader, the strongest of the tribe, attacked the man who spoke up. He killed him instantly. The others were afraid. They begged to make a deal. They would tell the Quileutes where the tribe went, and if they promised that they would never harm the Migra tribe, they would get a very special gift. The Quileutes agreed. The gift they were given was the name: the people of the moon . In exchange, the left-over Migras told them that the rest of the tribe moved overseas to what is now called Europe.
What?! Paul said, snorting, You said it was a war! That doesn t sound like a war. Where is all the violence? Are you telling me there was only one victim in this war?!
Oh, there were more victims, Paul, Billy said, You see, the Quileutes were vengeful. The remaining members of the Migra tribe were slaughtered as soon as they told the Quileutes where the others were.
That s horrible! Leah said, gasping, We re a peaceful tribe.
I know, Billy said, sadly.
So what happened to the rest of the Migras? Louis asked.
The Quileutes never found them, Billy said, The Elders believed they died out. But I believe that they flourished on and there are remnants of the old tribe still in the world.
Dad, I said, You said the Migra s true name was relatively unknown. Do you know it?
Oh, yes, Billy said, nodded, The Migra s true name is Remi Lunitari.
What does that mean? Seth asked.
The rough translation is Moonwolf, Billy said.
The common translation? I asked, winking.
Werewolf, Billy said, grinning.
Leah snorted.
Werewolves aren t real! she exclaimed.
Have you been listening to Billy s story, Leah? Seth asked, Billy said it himself that the story he told us was true!
Seth, Leah scoffed, Don t you think we d know if there were werewolves in the world?
Leah s right, I said, though I was taunting her, I mean you would think there d be some evidence, right? Perhaps some violent tales of murders, where the bodies were so damaged, they were unidentifiable?
Leah stared at me. I knew she had heard about the news stories.
Come on, Leah, Louis grunted, standing up, Story is rubbish anyway. Whoever heard of Native Americans that moved to Europe? Everyone knows that this country belonged, and will always belong, to the Native Americans.
When Louis said this, a thought sparked in my mind. If the werewolves were Native Americans, why doesn t Louis look anything like an Indian?
Louis and Leah started walking away from the fire.
Will you look at that?! Billy exclaimed, looking up at the sky and laughing, My story must have scared the storm away!
I looked towards the sky. The clouds were moving pretty quickly. Suddenly, everything got a bit lighter as the moon came into view. I watched as a ray of moonlight moved its way toward Leah and Louis. Suddenly, Louis stumbled, as the moonlight touched him.
Louis? Leah cried, What s wrong?
No! Seth said, Leah! Get away!
I didn t need Seth s exclamation to know what was happening. I immediately phased into a wolf, and felt my clothes tear away from me.
Damn! That was my good shirt too!
When I phased, I heard Louis scream. I watched in horror as he started shaking and growing right in front of my eyes. His whole body looked like it was sprouting away from the core of itself.
Leah! Seth yelled, Run!
Beside me, Seth leaped up and phased into a wolf mid-jump. He ran up to Leah, his paws barely touching the ground in his strides, and pushed her out of the way. Teeth bared, he stared at Louis, who was now completely transformed into a giant, hairy werewolf. I knew I couldn t let Seth get hurt. He was too busy defending his sister, that he might not have his full concentration on the beast in front of him.
Every one of my pack, besides me and Seth, were frozen with fright. I knew they hadn t expected this. They hadn t expected the size Louis would become and neither did I. But I had to do something. I ran toward Louis and growled.
Louis turned. I saw his big, black, beady eyes staring at me. He roared and flecks of spit flew from his lips. Disgusting creature. I lunged at him, and Louis struck me quickly with his large paw. I flew into the air backwards and landed with a thud.
Damn! This was one strong pup! I definitely didn t expect an offensive attack so quick, especially from a beast of that size.
Seth growled. It was his turn now. He jumped on Louis, and, at first, I thought it had worked. Suddenly, Louis threw him into the air. Seth landed on the ground with a yelp. He didn t get back up.
Seth! Leah cried out.
Louis heard her. He turned to Leah and roared.
Louis? Leah asked, staring at her imprint, tears falling down her cheeks, Louis, it s me. It s Leah. Don t you recognize me?
Louis roared again, and I leapt up. I was dazed, but I still was able to get in between Leah and my foe. Suddenly, I heard the familiar sound of many people phasing. My fellow pack-mates around the bonfire had finally broken away from their fear. They ran up and surrounded Louis. All of them were now in their wolfish forms.
Louis turned his large head and looked at all of his foes. He whined and pushed his way through Embry and Quil and ran off toward the forest. Paul went to chase him, but I barked the order for him to stay back. When I made sure that Louis was gone, I phased back into my human self, as did the rest of my pack. Leah didn t care that there were a group of naked teenage boys near her. She only had tearful eyes for her brother, who was still in his wolf form.
Seth? she pleaded, rushing over to him, Wake up!
Seth stayed still for a moment. A long moment later, he whined, and blinked open his eyes. A collective sigh gathered around me. Seth staggered to his feet, then phased back into his human self.
Oi! Billy called by the fire, Is he okay?
I think so, I said.
Then how about you all get inside and get some clothes on, eh? Billy said, I don t need a group of naked guys on my land.
What about Leah? I asked.
Don t worry, Jacob, Billy said, I ll talk to Leah!
I nodded and helped Seth into the house.
Leah? I heard Charlie say, Can you help an old man into his house?
Hey, Jake, Paul said, as he and others followed me into my bedroom, I m sorry. I kind of didn t believe you were telling the truth about -- you know -- the werewolves.
Yeah, yeah, I said, Apologize later. Get some clothes on.
I had a rule with my pack. I kept some of their clothes at my house in case of emergencies like this. I found their clothes and handed them out.
Are you okay, Seth? I asked, after we got dressed.
Seth nodded.
It s just, he said, I didn t expect him to be so strong!
I know! Embry said, Did you see the size of that sucker?!
Of course I did! Seth said, I got knocked out by it, didn t I?
All right, you guys, I said, Meeting s over I guess. We did what I wanted us to do. Make sure you extinguish the fire before you go home. Seth, you can wait for Leah if you want.
Seth nodded, and I walked back into the front room. Billy was comforting Leah.
Why does this always happen? Leah said, tearfully, I f-find a nice boy, and he t-turns out to be a m-monster. Of course, this time he really was a monster!
Another sob escaped her lips.
Shh, Billy soothed her, I know.
You don t understand, Leah said, I ll never find someone like him again! He was my imprint. I ll be walking the world alone now! Forever!
She sobbed again. I couldn t believe my eyes. When did Leah become a damn drama queen?!
Damn, Leah! I said, shocked, Get yourself together!
Jacob Black! Billy scolded me, Don t you see how much she is hurting?
She s crying over spilled milk! I said, Dad, the love of her life is a damn descendant of the Remi Lunitari tribe! Don t you see? She s fraternizing with our enemy!
At that, a thought went through my mind. What would Bella and the Cullens say about this? The werewolves are indeed enemies of the Quileutes! Ha! Take that you bloodsuckers!
J-Jacob s right, Leah said, wiping the tears from her eyes, For once in his life, he s right.
Wow. I was speechless. This definitely wasn t the Leah I knew. What did romance do to her?
Louis is going to pay for what he did to me! Leah suddenly said, in an outrage.
I grinned. This was the Leah I knew. She walked over to the front door.
Do you hear me, Louis Grayson?! she said at the top of her voice, If it kills me, I ll make sure you pay for breaking my heart!
I rolled my eyes. She was still talking about romance. Yuck. Aw well. If that gets her mind on the right track, I was fine with it. It was very nice to have the old Leah back. Whatever that meant.