Woohoo! Chapter 2! On a roll. I love the fresh characters. This chapter was a bit emotional for me. But we get a peek at Brayden and Piper. And this chapter did not happen the way I thought it would. Hmmm...Anywhozzle.

*Disclaimer*

Please Enjoy!

BraydenPOV

This was the fifth time I pounded on the door. "Woman, hurry up!"

"Would you shut up?!" Piper screamed back. "I can't concentrate!"

"On what? Are you digging up a cure for cancer as you empty your closet on the floor? Geez."

Something thumped against the door.

"Hey!" I snapped. "No throwing things."

Finally the door opened. My sister spun on her toes. "There. Is this okay?"

How in the hell could she think a micro-mini and a low-plunging halter were okay? Plus the thigh-high boots she was holding? I gave her raised eyebrows in a "what do you think?" sort of way.

"Ugh!" she screamed, slamming the door. "You freaking fashion Nazi!"

"Fashion?" I scoffed. "You're wearing two napkins. One with a slit and a knot in it to hold your boobs. What is wrong with a pair of tight jeans and a tank?"

"Sure! I should just put a paper bag over my head while I'm at it."

Groaning, I leaned back against the wall to the side of the door. "It could be worse. Dad could be doing the judging."

She stayed quiet.

"That's what I thought," I whispered.

With my new and improved senses, I could hear her huffing and puffing through her clothes. I could smell the different perfumes on her dresser.

But what I didn't hear was my dad, Seth Clearwater, coming up the steps. "What could be worse if I was judging? And why are we slamming doors?" he asked.

I grinned and jerked a thumb over my shoulder. "Her sense of 'fashion'. And I keep saying no."

He raised his eyebrows. "Ah. Yeah, I agree. Let me guess, if I'd seen some of the things, she wouldn't be leaving the house?"

"Exactly."

He patted my shoulder with a smirk. "Take care of her tonight."

"Of course."

He put his back to the wall beside me. "When are you going to tell her, Bray?"

I looked over at him sharply. "Not tonight. That's for sure."

"Brayden, trust me. You can't not tell her. She needs to know."

Roughly, my head fell back to bang on the wall. "She's not ready. Not yet."

"That sounds like someone else I know."

I looked over at him. "And?"

"He was wrong." He met my eyes with a knowing stare before clapping my shoulder. "Just think about it, alright? It's not just about you." And then he was gone back downstairs.

Before I had time to think about it, Piper's door opened again. I just stared in disbelief. A dark purple tank, tight jeans, and the thigh-high boots, plus a leather jacket in her hands.

She looked down at herself. "What? I like this outfit. Don't tell me you don't approve."

Blinking at her, I couldn't honestly believe she was that slow. "Do you want the paper bag to go with it?" I asked pointedly.

She frowned just before realization dawned. "Oh stuff it." Shutting her light off and closing the door, she grabbed my arm and hauled me to the stairs.

When we got down onto the first floor, Dad quirked an eyebrow from the bar along the counter.

I shook my head. "Don't. This is the best one."

Mom came up the stairs from their bedroom. "Ooo, those boots are cute. I forgot you had those."

Piper grinned, moving her legs and flashing the shoes. "I know, right? Since Bray's driving tonight, I figured I could wear them."

"Go for it, baby girl."

Opening my mouth as if to say something, Dad caught my eye and shook his head. "Don't. Just don't."

Mom blinked as if only just realizing we were there. "What?" she asked Dad.

He smiled around his mug. "Nothing, baby. Guy stuff."

"Uh-huh," she mumbled. "Lyin' to me." And then without warning, she threw herself on me. "Oh, my baby's graduating high school!"

Piper rolled her eyes.

"Mom," I said, "I'm not graduating tonight. It's just a party. One I've gone to since I was a freshman."

She pulled back, wiping her eyes. "What? I can't celebrate my oldest graduating?"

The tears hurt my heart and pulled at the momma's boy inside me. "Well, yeah," I stuttered. "But just wait to have an aneurysm until the day I walk. Then you can cry and have heart failure."

Dad chuckled but Mom threw him a dark look over her shoulder. He shut up.

She sighed and sniffled. "Fine. I'll wait to have my hysterics until the day of."

I grinned, wiping the left over tears with my thumb. "Thanks. That day, you can cry and slobber all over me. All day long."

Her lips quivered. "Promise?"

"Mom," I laughed, pulling her into my arms. She was tiny compared to me. The top of her head barely brushed my collarbone. "It's okay. I'm not going anywhere."

"I know," she wailed. "But I remember when you both were tiny and pudgy." She made gestures with her hands. "Just learning how to walk and talk, saying 'momma' and 'dada' every five minutes. And now look at you. All grown up and…and…and graduating high school!"

That's when Dad intervened. It was clear he was trying not to bust out laughing as he pulled her away from me. "Come on, Shelby. They have a party to get to. You can cry on me."

She went to him, but said, "I don't wanna cry on you. I wanna cry on my baby."

Piper looked over at me and grinned. "Come on, momma's boy. Jules and the others are probably already there. And I'm starving."

"Be careful," Dad said. "And don't do any damage to my truck or you'll be the one fixing it."

I grinned as he tossed me the keys. "Done and done."

"One more thing," he called. We turned back to him. "You drink, you don't drive that truck. Understand?"

Piper and I shared an amazed look.

Dad chuckled. "I know teenagers. And this is a party. I'm not stupid, so if you're going to drink, please be safe about it. Drinking in public is different than drinking here at the house where I can watch over you."

Mom and Dad had thought it would be best to have our first drink at home, where we were safe. When Dad, Uncle Jacob, Uncle Embry, and some of the other guys got together for their routine guys' night, Will and I had been invited and allowed to drink with them. It wasn't that they condoned underage drinking. They just wanted us to understand what it was like to get tipsy or drunk and how to deal with it because they knew how teenagers worked. Instead of creating a bunch of rebellious teenagers by saying you can't do this or that, they allowed us to try it where they could keep an eye on us. That way we knew what to expect if we were out in public with our friends.

"That goes for sex, too," Mom said.

Piper choked on air. I just stared. "Mom!"

She held up a hand from where she was bundled up in Dad's arms. "Hey, I know how these things go. Your dad may not have been a normal teenager because of the phasing thing, but I was human when I was your age. I remember the pressures, the excitement. Just be careful, okay? You don't want to add to the complication of imprinting on someone else."

Involuntarily, my gaze went to Dad. He nodded his understanding.

"We will, Mom," I said. "I'll watch Piper."

"And I'll watch Bray. Promise."

Twenty minutes later, we were pulling up beside Uncle Jacob's truck. He must have given it to Will for the night. The party was in full swing. People had cups in their hands and were talking around the huge bonfire. There was a chill tonight for me, and that meant that it was pretty cold to everyone else. And even though it was cold, many of the girls were in shorts and skirts, holding each other's hands as they made their way through the crowd. Most of the school had shown up, which wasn't a surprise. The party wasn't a secret even though it was meant for the seniors. As I put the truck in park, I could have sworn I saw a flash of copper hair against the backdrop of the fire. But as soon as I saw it, it was gone.

"I just don't see why I can't drive," Piper pouted in the passenger seat.

Sighing in exasperation, I unhooked my seatbelt. "Because I said so."

She glared at me, green eyes fiercer due to the charcoal eyeliner. "That's not a reason. I do have my permit. And Dad lets me drive."

Opening the door, I swung out, boots hitting the wet ground. "Yeah, well, I'm not Dad. Besides, if I let you drive without Dad and you wrapped this thing around a tree, I'd be the one fixing it. Not you. Unless we both died. So, I drive."

"Bossy," she grumbled, hopping out on her side.

"Damn straight," I said.

She met me at the front of the truck and slipped into her jacket. "I'm gonna go find Jules and Ava."

We reached for each other at the same time. She kissed my cheek and I kissed hers before she took off in her heels. I watched her until she disappeared into the crowd. No matter how much I irritated her or she did her best to aggravate me, we were close. The spats between us were done with affection. I could never really ever be angry with her. Or at least, I hadn't had a reason yet. And I was as protective of her as Dad was, maybe even more so. And I knew she loved me. Every time a girl she didn't approve of came to close to me, she'd glare the girl down and tell her to get lost. I'd felt so sorry for Marcy after Piper got a hold of her, but she really had been irritating. I hadn't had the heart to tell her off, but Piper did. And once she was on the war path, there was no stopping her. Just like Mom.

"Yo, Snake Eyes! You just gonna stand there all night?"

Shaking my head, I pulled myself out of my thoughts and ran up to Will. He was the only one allowed to call me that even though the pack knew the nickname. "Are you kidding, Pretty Boy? And let you get faced without me? I don't think so." I threw myself across his shoulders, ribbing on him.

The crowd of guys and some girls closed around us and someone shoved a plastic cup in my hand. Let the night begin.

PiperPOV

Stupid idiots, I thought as I pushed through a crowd of already toasted seniors. One made a pass at me and I glared at him until he took his hand off my waist. Good. I really didn't want to have to break any bones tonight. Everyone knew I was Brayden's sister. He was the only person in the school to have phased. They were either terrified of him or fascinated by him. Or both. But no matter how they felt about him, they knew better than to piss him off, and that meant no messing with his little sister.

"Piper!" A second later, bronze curls were bouncing in front of me.

"Hey, Jules."

Ava walked up behind her. Out of the three of us, Jules was the most bouncy. Well, if anyone had three gorgeous brothers like she did, they wouldn't have a thing to worry about. Those brothers of hers were hell if you messed with her. Add Brayden to the mix of protective testosterone and they were their own army. Of course, the four boys were protective of any pack female who had yet to phase.

"How long have you been here?" I asked them.

"We just pulled up about ten minutes ago," Jules said, aqua eyes studying the crowd. No doubt trying to keep up with her brothers.

Ava shrugged. "I just got here and managed to find Jules. What about you?"

"Same. Where's the food? It smells delicious."

Jules pointed to her right. "They put the grills closer to the cliffs so that the smoke could fly out. Everything's done."

"Good. I could eat like Brayden right about now."

"Speaking of," Jules said, craning her neck. "Where is he?"

Mentally rolling my eyes, I turned around and pointed. "See that big crowd of guys ribbing on each other? He's in the center of all that. Probably getting wasted with your brother."

"Of course. Did you see the twins with them?"

I shook my head. "Haven't seen them, but I haven't been looking. Dox is probably surrounded by the females, and Ash is probably hiding in the shadows somewhere with a book."

Ava and Jules laughed.

"Probably."

"Ava!" We all turned to see Josh, a fellow sophomore, now junior, running walking toward us, drink in hand.

She grinned. "Hey, Josh. What's up? Working on inebriation already?"

He put a hand to his chest and smiled. "How well you know me. But no, it's just Coke for now. Would you like to dance?"

Someone had managed to get two huge speakers out here and was blasting music.

Ava grinned again. "Sure." She turned to us. "I'll find you later, okay?"

We waved her off. "Have fun!" I called.

Jules shook her head. "Man, they really like each other, don't they?"

"Yes, they do." I turned to her. "Speaking of liking…you're crushing my brother, aren't you?"

She turned to me, fear in her aqua eyes. "What? Why would you ask me that?"

Wrapping my arm through hers, I threaded us through the crowd. "Oh come on, Jules. You're my best friend. Of course I know the signs. Kind of like when you knew I kind of had a thing for Will. But yours is different because we're older. And mine no longer exists, even though he's still friggin' hot."

"But…but-," she spluttered.

"Don't worry. I won't say anything. But if you don't want anyone knowing, I advise you watch how you look at him, how you watch him. I know you better than anyone so I can see it now. Just don't let it go unchecked. However, I brought up my brother to say something else."

"What?" she asked worriedly. "Is something wrong?"

I chewed my lip. "I don't know. I heard him and Dad talking outside my room just before we left. Dad was advising Bray to tell 'her' something. Brayden said whoever it was wasn't ready to be told. Not yet."

"Well, it could mean nothing, Pipe. Who do you think they were talking about?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. It could be anybody. Me, Mom…you."

"Me? Why me?"

Shrugging, I released her to grab a paper plate from the start of the food table. "You're his best friend other than Will. And me. It sounded important, and Dad made it seem like it's something that needs to happen soon. Like Brayden leaving."

She grabbed a plate and caught up with me. "Leaving? Where would he go? I mean, all he's ever wanted was to join the pack. There's no way he'd leave."

"Unless something's changed."

"Like what?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Honestly, if you would have asked me if my brother could keep a secret from me, I'd say no. But apparently he has been if Dad knows about it and I don't."

We piled our plates and went to find a secluded log at the edge of the trees. From where we sat, we had a view of the whole party. Will and Brayden were chugging down from plastic cups. No doubt the Black kids had gotten the same speech about the drinking. If you drink, don't drive. Will would be more hammered than Brayden since he hadn't phased yet. Alcohol affected the wolves differently, so my brother could kick a few back without batting an eyelash.

The hairs at the back of my neck stood up, as if someone were watching me. Frowning, I scanned the crowd, then turned to the dark woods behind me. Nothing.

"Pipe? You okay?"

Turning back to her, I said, "Yeah. Just got a chill, I guess." When I looked at her worried eyes, I smiled. "Hey, don't worry about it. Let's just have a good time tonight, okay? Try to forget I said anything. I'm sure it's nothing. I'm just a little sister worried about her big brother."

From that point on, we didn't' go near the topic of Brayden and his weird behavior. We talked about who we thought would be hooking up over the break. Whose style would change. There were several people who stand to go through an attitude adjustment, too. Ava joined us for about ten minutes every hour or so. She and Josh were hitting it off. We discussed who we'd want in our classes, and the girls we'd like to punch for making moves on our brothers. With four brothers, Jules had a longer list than I did.

It was nearing midnight when Jules and I both realized we hadn't seen Ava in a while, longer than an hour. With a look passed between us, we made our way through the crowd, tossing our drinks when we didn't find her on the first round. She wouldn't have left without at least texting on of us and/or one of the boys. What worried me most was that we hadn't found Josh, either. When we didn't find them on round two, we went to find the boys. Surprisingly, they weren't drunk. They were urging the other guys into drunken stupors instead.

Grabbing Brayden's arm, I dragged him away from the group. Jules did the same with Will.

"Pipes, what's up?"

When we were alone enough and I could hear myself think, I stopped and faced him. He was flushed with the excitement and fun of the party, and I was almost tempted not to drag him into this. But it was too late because he'd already seen the look on my face. His letting loose mentality changed in an instant, snapping back to serious and alertness.

"Piper, what's going on? Did somebody make a move on you?"

I shook my head. "I could take care of them if they did. Bray, Jules and I can't find Ava."

"What?"

"We searched twice. Josh is missing, too. The guy she's been with the whole time. She hasn't checked in with us in over an hour."

He studied me for a moment. "That doesn't mean she's in trouble. Maybe she's just, you know, have a good time."

I shook my head, adamant about this. "No, Brayden. You know better than that. We all agreed to check in or at least leave a message. I don't have one and neither does Jules."

Reaching into his pocket, he checked his phone, frowning. No message for him either.

This so wasn't a good sign.

JulesPOV

Will and I were beside Piper and Brayden a second later. Brayden was frowning at his phone.

Will gave Brayden a look. "Let's split up. Brayden, go with Piper. Jules, stay with me. Keep your phones out."

"What about Dox and Ash?" I asked.

Will shook his head. "Don't know where they are and we need to find Ava first. The twins can take care of themselves."

With that, we split up. Will and I went back towards the woods while Piper and Bray took the cliffs.

"How long ago did you last see her?"

I shook my head, trying to remember. "I don't know. Probably about ten, ten-thirty."

"Where did you last see her?"

"Will, I don't know. She went into the crowd with Josh. I didn't see them sneak off."

The anxiety in my voice must have gotten his attention. He reached up and massaged my neck. "We'll find her. I promise."

Feeling a little better at the contact, I took a deep breath and nodded, eyes scanning the crowd.

We were just about to the spot where Piper and I had been sitting when Will grabbed my arm, his concentration focused on the woods. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Sounded like screaming."

Standing perfectly still I tried to stretch my hearing out past the music and all the voices of people trying to talk over one another. My hearing was better than humans because of Mom's half-vampire blood. After a long moment of nothing, I heard an echo of something from the direction Will had pointed out. Snapping my eyes open, we shared a look before breaking into a run for the tree line. While we ran, I managed to dig out my phone and dial Piper, breathlessly telling her where to find us.

"Josh, I said stop!" Ava's voice echoed through the trees, but it wasn't frantic enough to signify that things had gone as far as it could have with the time they'd had to be alone.

Shit.

Will, with his stupidly long legs, pulled out ahead of me, jumping over logs and roots. And I could tell he was pissed by how rigid he was.

"You're drunk. Get off me!"

There was dark laugh that followed her words.

"I'm serious. I am not doing this with you. Get. Off!"

"Aw, c'mon. Don't be like that. We're having a good time. This is a party."

Finally, we burst through a thicket of thick brush into a small clearing. Ava was trying to get past a tipsy Josh. Every time he tried to touch her, she jerked away. He was slowly herding her back toward a large tree. She was starting to panic, the fear clear in her eyes. Though Josh wasn't a wolf, he was still a big well-built guy and could easily overpower her. Every time I'd interacted with him, he'd been perfectly sweet and well-mannered. Apparently even the good ones could be mean drunks.

"Hey!" Will shouted as he angrily strode across the clearing toward Josh. "Get off her! Now!"

Josh looked over his shoulder and it was clear he was trashed. "Go away, man," he slurred. "I'm havin' some private time."

"Go have it with yourself. The lady said no. That means you're not getting lucky tonight, not with her."

Josh reached back to grip Ava's wrist so tight that she whimpered. "She wants me. She's been begging for it all night."

"Let go, Josh. Please. You just need some time to sober up. You're not like this."

"Josh," Will growled. "You have three seconds to let her go before I introduce your face to that tree."

I looked to Ava. She nodded and started trying to loosen Josh's grip. Will was always good on his threats.

"Or what?" Josh spat, wavering a little on his feet. "You can't have all the bitches, Black."

Will charged for Josh, and Ava just barely managed to free herself and get out of the way before Will tackled Josh backward. They tumbled and rolled until Will got the better hand and really did press Josh's face into the tree with a crack. He had one of Josh's arms in a joint lock behind his back, the other hand on the side of Josh's face, pressing him into the bark.

"See? Now didn't I tell you I'd introduce you? Here, let me do it again." Will grabbed a handful of Josh's hair, pulled his head back, and slammed his temple into the tree. There was a loud crack, but Josh didn't go down.

Instead, he managed to push back and get out from under my brother. Ava ran to me, clutching my arm while the boys fought. Her whole body trembled where it was pressed to mine.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

She took a shaky breath and nodded. "He's just had too much to drink."

"That's not an excuse," I said harshly. "You said no. No means no. Not 'I'm teasing you'."

Another loud crack rang through the trees. Will and Josh were rolling in the dirt, throwing fists. Will had a cut above his left eye that was bleeding down his temple. The hair that fell over his forehead there was plastered to his skin. He managed to roll Josh and get the top position. And then he was all fists. Josh's head thumped over and over against the ground.

"Will!" I yelled, finally scared. "Stop! You'll kill him! Stop it!"

I'd never seen my brother so angry. And in that moment, I knew it was more than just typical teenage boy aggression. This was something more, something huge. This was the beginning of his phasing anger. Fear shot down my spine, and my body began to shake.

Letting go of Ava, I started for them. Maybe if I got close enough, my presence would help calm him. But the closer I got, the angrier Will became.

"Will! Please!" I begged, tears springing up.

A dark blur shot past me, tackling Will off of Josh. It was Henry. It was clear he'd just come out of the woods since he was in a pair of cut-offs and nothing else. He wrestled with Will across the clearing floor, trying not to hurt him and gain control of Will's arms before it could become another punching match. Brayden and Piper broke through the trees a moment later. Ava and I moved toward Josh. He was still breathing but unconscious. Blood covered his face, running out of his broken nose. Piper joined us, her phone to her ear, while Brayden went to help Henry with Will. My brother was wild with his aggression, almost as if his sanity had gone on vacation.

"That's enough, Will!" Henry gritted out, gaining control of one arm as Brayden grabbed the other.

Will bared his teeth, the left side of his face covered in blood, eyes crazed and set on Josh.

"Who are you calling?" I asked Piper.

"Dr. Cullen. I figured it would be faster than trying to get him to the hospital. Plus, no emergency bills."

"Good point." Gripping his wrist with shaking hands, I felt for his pulse and looked at my watch, just as Grampa Carlisle had taught me.

Brayden and Henry finally managed to wrestle my brother into the woods. I could hear them crashing around in the direction of my house. I wanted to go after them, but I also felt I needed to oversee Josh until my grandfather arrived. It didn't take long until he silently entered the clearing with Grampa Edward right behind him.

He knelt by me. "Go to your brother, sweetie. We can handle it from here. You did well."

"Are you sure?" I asked worriedly, looking up into his topaz eyes.

He smiled gently and nodded. "Go. Will is going to need you."

"What about the twins?"

"I'll find them," Piper said, standing up. "Ava, you stay here with the doc and tell them what happened." She looked to Carlisle. "She's probably going to go into shock."

"Am not," Ava said weakly.

Piper's gaze moved to me. "What are you still doing here? Go to Will. And make sure my brother's okay."

With reassurances that everyone was in good hands, I ran for the woods.

JacobPOV

Nessie had collapsed in my arms about fifteen minutes ago. She was still calming down and sweaty.

"Man, even with four grown kids, we still got it."

I chuckled, the bite on my hip bone burning as the sheet brushed it. "Amen to that."

Half sitting up against the headboard with her in my arms against my chest, I drew circles on the bare skin of her back. "Can you believe we're going to have a senior in high school? Where the hell did all the time go? I feel so old."

She rubbed her nails across my chest. "I know. I feel like they should all still be toddlers, like I just had the twins."

"How could two kids be so alike yet so different?"

"I have no idea. Ash is so quiet. But Will told me that he's the one out of the two that's the scariest. Apparently, he glares at all the boys who watch Jules and they back off."

I rubbed her shoulder. "Well, it's like you said earlier, Ash isn't as outgoing. He's always been closer to Jules, anyway. Well, closer to Jules right behind Maddox. They're a team all their own. I mean, I hate to say this about my own kids and I'm not putting them down, but Maddox is more of the muscle out of the two of them. Ash is the quiet plotter, you know? Not that he's smarter than Maddox. He just…notices more because he's not constantly moving."

Kissing my chest, she traced her hand down my abdomen. "I know what you mean."

"God, I can't believe we made it to the point where I have to worry about some kid hitting on my daughter. Now I know how you're dad felt with me around."

She laughed. "Her brothers probably formed ranks around her as soon as they got there. Or they told Piper to watch out for her. That girl is so much like Shelby, it's a little scary sometimes."

"You think? If she phases, she'll be unstoppable."

Leaning up on her elbow, she frowned. "If she doesn't phase like you and your pack, then couldn't she still shift like Shelby?"

I shrugged. "Maybe. But I thought the kids born to a Child of the Moon shifted early, toward the beginning of puberty?"

It was her turn to shrug. "The hybrids could be different. Just because Brayden phased doesn't mean she will."

Blowing out a breath, I scrubbed my face with my free hand. "When did our world get so complicated?"

"When Tristan decided to wreck it."

I chuckled.

She went up on her knees and swung a leg over my hips. Apparently, she was feeling dominant tonight. Unfortunately, we didn't get far into round three.

A howl went up in the woods close to the house.

Nessie and I froze, frowning up at the ceiling. When another howl went up, we scrambled out of bed and to the closet. I threw on some sweats while she struggled into her own clothes. But I didn't wait on her. Instead, I flew up the stairs and ran for the front door. Seth busted through it before I could reach the handle. He was breathing hard as if he'd just run from wherever he'd been on patrol to here in two seconds. He probably had.

"It's Will," he said with a very direct stare.

My heart dropped to my stomach. "What about him?" I demanded.

"Something happened. I don't know exactly what."

Brushing past him, I ran onto the porch. All I knew was that I needed to see my son before I could breathe right again. This must have been how my own father felt every time I went out to fight or just to run with the pack.

Behind me, in the house, I could hear Ness asking Seth what was wrong.

Fear was choking me along with terrible thoughts and images of my son torn to pieces by the Volturi or an outside pack. That he would be sent to me as punishment for winning my family's safety all those years ago. Out in the front yard, I scanned the woods.

The moment the bushes rattled and Henry and Brayden came out with Will draped between them, clearly alive, I wanted to drop to my knees and thank whatever god was out there listening to my prayers. But then, I actually saw him. The left side of his face was covered in blood from a cut above his eye. His hands were bloodied, knuckles busted. Clearly, some of the blood was his, but it was his eyes that scared me. They were distant and flickering, unfocused. In shock. He was in shock.

"What happened?" I demanded, moving toward them.

"Some guy was drunk," Brayden said, "and wouldn't leave Ava alone. Will lost it. If you want details, you'll need to ask Jules."

I went up to them and gently cupped my son's face. "Will? Look at me, son."

He kept swallowing hard, blinking fast, eyes shifting back and forth.

"Will, look at me," I commanded. When his eyes finally made it up to mine, I said, "It's okay. Whatever happened, it's over. You're safe."

His mouth moved but no sound came out.

I leaned forward, frowning. "What?"

"The anger," he breathed. "So much anger. Dad…"

And then his knees gave out.

I caught him against me, one arm around his waist, the other cupping his head. "Hey, I got you. It's okay, buddy. I got you."

He didn't exactly hug me back. His hands were shaking so bad that I could feel it from where his elbows dug into my ribs.

"I c-could…could have…k-killed him. I wanted to."

I kept rocking him, but looked to Henry and Brayden. "One of you tell me that that didn't happen. Right now."

They exchanged a look, but Brayden stepped up to the plate. "It didn't." Will sagged against me even more as if it were news to him that he hadn't killed someone. "Jules took the guy's vitals before we took off. He was still alive. Unconscious but alive. Broken nose, maybe. Piper was calling Carlisle when we left."

"Dad," Will said, finally clutching at me. "Dad."

"Shh, it's okay," I whispered stroking the hair at the nape of his neck. I buried my face in his neck and held him tight. "We'll sort through this. Remember what I promised you a few years ago? We go through this stuff together, as a family. I'll take care of you. I promise."

There was a gasp from the porch and I knew it was his mother.

"Will?" she said in a breathless voice. "Oh my god." A second later, she was beside us, stroking the bloodied side of his face. "What happened?" she asked hysterically to everybody and nobody at the same time.

"Mom," Will whispered.

The bushes rustled again and Jules came spilling out. She ran over to us, her hands hovering over her brother's back, tears in her eyes.

I reached out to her with the hand I was using to rub his hair. I lifted her chin. "Jules, what happened?"

Nessie had glued herself to my side, keeping her face in Will's line of sight and whispering to him while his face was pressed to my shoulder.

"Jules?"

She was breathing hard, her eyes scared and sad. "Piper and I couldn't find Ava, so we split up with the boys. Will and I found her. She'd gone off with a guy named Josh. They'd hit it off and were having a good time, but I guess he's not as nice drunk. He was pushing, hadn't gotten to forcing yet, when we found them. Will told him to back off, and then…and then, Will just snapped." She looked up at me and I knew she was holding something back. "Dad, I've never seen him like that. It was…scary. Henry had to tackle him away, and then it took both Henry and Brayden to drag him into the woods. I stayed back to check on Josh. He was fine. Unconscious but fine. Broken nose, maybe a fractured jaw. Grampa Carlisle and Grampa Edward are taking him back to the house and are gonna call his parents."

"Jacob," Nessie said, looking at me with tears in her eyes. "Let's get him inside. He doesn't need to be out in this cold being in shock. And I need to clean him up."

At that moment, the twins, Ava, and Piper came down the walkway that led around the lake to Seth's place. Maddox and Ash ran for us, worry written across their faces. Gently, they took their brother from my arms and draped him between them.

"We got you, big brother," Ash said, echoing my words, wrapping his arm around his brother's waist. "Let's get you inside."

"Take him up to his room," Nessie said as she followed them.

Jules turned to Brayden and Henry. I waited for her as she dug into her purse. "He gave me the keys to the truck. Could one of you, please…um, please go get it? Please?" Her hands were shaking so badly that the keys jingled. "Please?" she said again, voice cracking.

Brayden came forward and gently took them from her, cupping her cheek with one hand. "Of course. Go take care of my best friend. I'll check on the other kid and keep you posted, okay?"

Sniffling, she nodded and turned around, shoulders hunched. I wrapped an arm around her and nodded to the boys. "Before you bring the truck back, take Ava home. I'm sure my sister's heard about this and wants to see her daughter safely home." I looked to my niece. "Are you okay to go home, or do you need to see Carlisle?"

"He already looked at me. Uncle Edward did call Mom and Dad. I promised I'd be home as soon as I checked on Will."

The boys nodded before escorting the girls back into the woods.

Twenty minutes later, after checking on Will's progress every five minutes, I managed to get Jules downstairs and a hot mug of cocoa in her hands. The shaking had slowed down enough that she could hold it without burning herself from splashing. I'd wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and sat down in my chair at the head of the table. Nessie and the twins were working together to get Will cleaned up. He was slowly coming out of the shock and able to help a little.

"Jules, baby, what did you leave out of your story?"

She looked up at me, somewhat shocked that I'd figured it out. But she got over it and looked back down into her hot chocolate. "When we got to the clearing, Will told Josh to back off." She paused. I could tell that this next part bothered her a lot. "Dad, Josh is a good guy. Just not when he's been drinking."

Reaching over, I took her hand in mine. It was cold. "Baby girl," I said gently, rubbing her hands between mine. "I believe you. A lot of people are nicer sober. Just tell me what happened to set your brother off."

Sighing, she started up again. "Josh told Will that Ava wanted him, that she'd been begging for it all night. And if that wasn't bad enough, he said…," she closed her eyes before repeating the words. "He said, 'You can't have all the bitches, Black'. That's when Will went after him. At first, it seemed like a normal guy fight. And then, something happened when Josh started fighting back. It was like Will didn't like it, and he just went crazy. I tried to tell him to stop, that he was going to kill him." When her aqua eyes met mine, they were scared but they also held a bit of guilt. "Dad, I've never not been able to calm him down. That was a first, and it scared me. All our lives, I've been able to calm him down from his temper tantrums or irritation. Tonight…I felt so helpless."

Going down on my knees beside her, I reached up to brush the hair from her face. "Jules, this wasn't your fault. Nothing you could have said or done would have stopped him. Physical force was the only way and if you would have gotten involved in that, he wouldn't have stopped until it was too late. It would have eaten him alive to come out of shock knowing that he'd beaten his own sister. It's good that you didn't get involved, sweetie. You did everything right, tonight. I'm proud of you."

Her eyes were glassy. "What's happening to him, Dad? What's happening to my big brother?"

Unable to bear seeing my daughter cry, I reached up and pulled her down so her face was buried in my shoulder. Rocking her, I rubbed her back. "Baby, it's the phasing. He's getting close, very close. Sometimes, the anger is the trigger. It was for me. Your grampa just told me I looked weird, and I nearly phased right there in the kitchen. You've seen your Aunt Emily. That's what would have happened to Grampa had I not controlled it long enough to get out of the house. But Will's not close enough that it forces the phase. He may have a few more episodes before he actually does phase."

She wrapped her arms around my neck. "I don't know if he'll survive any more episodes, Dad. What if the next time he hurts someone irreparably, someone who doesn't deserve it? He'll never forgive himself. Josh deserved what he got tonight, but if Henry and Brayden hadn't shown up, there's no telling how far he would have gone."

I stroked her hair. "I know, baby. I know. This is my fault. I should have had more eyes on him. I just didn't think it would hit this hard. Usually the anger is gradual, building up to an explosion like tonight, so it's easier to anticipate and divert. I'm so sorry you had to see it, especially from your brother."

"Promise me he'll be okay."

I couldn't make a promise that I couldn't keep. "I promise you that we'll get him through this." That was the best I could do. He'd get through it alive, but that didn't mean he'd be okay by the end of it.

Outside, car doors closed. Brayden told Piper to go home and she refused. A minute later, the three of them walked through the door. Piper came straight for Jules, who shifted from my arms to her best friend's. "Piper, could you please take her upstairs and get her taken care of?"

"Sure, Uncle Jake." She wrapped an arm around Jules. "Let's go, sweetness."

Once they were upstairs, I looked to Henry and Brayden. "You two did good tonight. Thank you for bringing my son home."

Henry shrugged. "He's like our brother, Uncle Jake. And I know what he's going through. So does Brayden. I take the blame for this. I should have been watching him closer."

I shook my head. "No. It's not your fault. Will had no warning signs. None of us expected this level straight out of the box. However, from this night on, one of you will always be near him when he leaves this house. Understood? You will go everywhere with him as soon as his boots leave my front porch. You two can take the damage he can dish. No more hurting people outside the pack. Henry, tighten your security detail. But I want either you or Brayden with him at all times outside this house."

They shared a look of understand before looking back to me and nodding. "Consider it done," Brayden said. "From my room, I can tell when he leaves. That'll give Henry some time to work with the other guys."

"Good. I'm glad he has the two of you. Now go on. Get some sleep. You've had a long night."

They both said good night before turning and going for the door. I turned for the stairs when Henry called me back. "Uncle Jake?"

"Yeah?"

"He has you, too." And then he walked out, leaving me standing there staring after him.

JulesPOV

Sometime after two in the morning, I managed to get Piper to go home. I didn't want a babysitter. I wanted to stay with my brother. Once I was sure she was gone, I wrapped my blanket around me and went across the hall. On my way there, I saw that the twins weren't in their room. I softly knocked on Will's door.

Ash answered it.

"How is he?" I whispered.

"He is better," another voice answered before Ash could.

Despite my fear, I smiled. Ash rolled his eyes and, shaking his head, moved to the side, opening the door for me. Will was sitting up in bed, a tank covering his torso. White gauze covered the cut above his left eye. I could see it through the hair that laid over his forehead. Maddox was sitting at the foot of the bed. It was a huge orgy-sized mattress. All four of us could fit on it.

Will patted the empty space beside him. "Get in here, baby sister."

Moving in, I trailed the blanket behind me and climbed up across his lap and settled between him and the wall. "You do realize that I'm not the baby out of this bunch, right?"

He chuckled and rested his head on my shoulder. "You're the only girl, therefore, you're the baby sister. Ash is the baby brother."

"Gee," Ash said sarcastically. "I feel so much better."

Both Dox and Ash were in their pajamas as they laid down at the foot of the bed.

"It's not you I'm worried about," Will shot back. He looked to me. "How are you?"

My eyebrows met my hairline. "Are you kidding? You're seriously asking me that? I should be asking you that."

He took my hand. "I already answered. I'm better. Your turn."

I squeezed his hand and fought back the tears. "You scared me tonight," I whispered. "Badly. I've never not been able to get through to you. And the way you were clinging to Dad. He looked so scared and relieved at the same time."

He let go of my hand so that he could wrap his arm around me and pull me into his side. He kissed my hair. "I'm sorry, Jules. I don't know what happened. It was so surreal, like I was there but I wasn't. I could see what I was doing but I couldn't stop it. My body was on autopilot, hot and pumping adrenaline. I just really needed to hit something. On the way back, I came back to myself and the realization of what I'd done. He's really okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Bloody, unconscious, and a broken nose, but okay. Maybe a concussion. He's in good hands though with Grampa Carlisle."

"Good. I'm going to have to apologize. I know he need to get his ass kicked, but I should have stopped long before I actually did."

"You know," Ash said quietly, "if you're right about all of us phasing, there's a good chance we're all going to go through this."

Maddox looked at me. "What did Dad say to you? I heard you ask what was happening to Will."

I avoided meeting their eyes. "He said that the anger episodes should have been more gradual. There should have been more signs so that this could have been avoided." Now I did meet their eyes. "Apparently things are different with us."

Will squeezed me harder, then touched first Ash then Maddox with his foot, grabbing their attention. "Listen to me. If the three of you phase, I won't let you hurt anyone, okay? I swear it. Nothing like this will happen to you. Dad, Brayden, Henry, and I will be watching over you. Do you understand me? I won't let it."

Ash, Maddox, and I shared a look before we looked up to Will. The three of us nodded.

"Good. Let's get some sleep."

He turned off the lamp and we all bundled down for the night. I put my back to the wall and hugged a pillow to my chest. Even though we weren't touching like we used to when we were kids, it was still comforting having them so close to me.

Slowly, with my brothers cornering me with their warmth, my body relaxed enough that I was able to sink into a blessedly dreamless sleep.

Okay, was I the only one who got emotional? I mean really. And I am loving the bond between the siblings. Let me know how you feel! And if anybody needs a list of the kids and who they belong to, PM me. I have it all written out at my elbow for reference. I do keep notes. Love y'all! Until next time! xoxoxoxoxoxo