A/N: I apologize for the long hiatus…the holidays and the end of a very busy semester just totally derailed my train of creative thought! If you're still reading…thanks for sticking by me!
A/N: All original Twilight characters are © Stephenie
Meyer.
CHAPTER 15
"Daggers, Distractions, and Cosmic Shifts"
By Monday morning, the extraction team had assembled and two black Hummers were rumbling their way towards Cantwell, Alaska. The mission…to convince seven young boys – most of who were most likely confused, angry, and terrified – to return to Forks and train for a battle they could very well not survive.
Bella sat in the front seat of the lead vehicle reading from her latest criminal justice textbook while Jacob sat in the back reading from his English literature textbook. Edward, who had eagerly agreed to do all the driving, was glad they were distracted because it allowed him to set a faster pace. Bella – although virtually indestructible now that she was a vampire – disapproved of his lead foot and was quite liberal with her voicing of said opinion.
"Just because we can doesn't make it appropriate. My father is a cop, you know," she had said with obvious disdain sometime in the middle of the night while Jacob slept soundly on the backseat.
Edward grinned wryly as he recalled the conversation from the Hummer bringing up the rear of their tiny convoy.
"My God…he's driving at least a hundred miles an hour! What am I going to say to the cop who stops us and wants to give us a ticket? Uh, sorry brother, we were just on our way to pick up a group of shape shifters so we can train them to kill a bunch of vampires before they kill us." Ethan had snorted and punched the gas a little harder as Leah chuckled softly beside him in the front seat.
"Edward won't get stopped." Seth had drawled sleepily from the back seat. "He has his own built-in radar detector."
At Ethan's confused expression, Leah had laughed, arching her eyebrows and tapping her right temple.
That had been hours ago. Determined to cut the normally two day drive in half, the H2's and their occupants had driven throughout the night with only one stop for gas, snacks for the hollow-legged werewolves, and bodily functions for everyone except the two vampires… Edward and Bella had hunted on Sunday afternoon and were good for the duration of the trip.
However, just after hitting the Alaska Highway, Edward grimaced as thoughts from the other Hummer bombarded his mind.
I really need to stretch my legs.
I am so hungry! I wonder when we're gonna stop for breakfast!
Okay! I've really gotta pee!
Edward sighed rather loudly and rolled his eyes, exasperated before stating flatly, "Being human must be such an inconvenience!"
Bella quietly closed her textbook and looked up at her inhumanly handsome husband with a grin as the vehicle veered off the next exit toward the big TESORO sign in the sky. Time for another pit stop.
Just as daylight was blending into darkness on Tuesday, the Hummers rolled into Cantwell, Alaska, population 215.
Not really a town, Cantwell was nestled snuggly between rolling hills and majestic mountains. The one gas station contained a small convenience store, and the lone restaurant boasted two cars in the gravel parking lot. Most of the houses were no more than makeshift wooden shacks with one or two rooms and boarded up windows.
The all night diner that Ethan's parents had owned sat abandoned along with the humungous igloo shaped hotel aptly named IGLOO HOTEL.
Through his thoughts, Edward could feel Ethan's mood go from hopefully optimistic and nostalgic to totally devastated and resentful.
His memories were both fascinating and haunting.
To appear as humanly normal as possible, the little band of rescuers had decided to book cabins at the Cantwell Lodge for the couple of days they would be staying in town.
As the vehicles pulled up in front of the sprawling wooden house surrounded by tiny log cabins, the group stepped out onto knee-deep snow. A narrow path had been cleared from the edge of the parking lot up to the front steps of the deck leading into the front office.
Ethan and Edward exchanged knowing glances for a second before Ethan moved in front of Edward and began walking up the path.
The second Ethan stepped into the lodge, a tidal wave of memories and emotions washed over him. The pungent scent of a man's tobacco pipe sent him back as if in a time machine to the age of twelve. All of a sudden, he was sitting beside his mother surrounded by tribal warriors discussing strategy for the latest battle against the Cold Ones.
"How may I help you folks?" asked the short stocky older man standing behind the counter…never looking up from the day-old newspaper he was reading. His long once-raven hair was pulled back into a pony tail, and the brown leather coat he wore was thread-bare. The pipe in his mouth streamed smoke trails around his head and up to the ceiling.
"We'd like to rent three of your cabins for a couple of nights," replied Ethan.
At the sound of Ethan's voice, the man's salt and pepper head shot up and the pipe fell with a wooden clang to the counter.
"Thomas? No, it couldn't be...He's been dead for…"
The old man laid the newspaper aside and looked up into Ethan's piercing green eyes. A sharp gasp shattered the awkward silence in the room as recognition and awe splayed across the man's face.
"Ethan Pelletier! Thomas and Mareena's boy. But you were… We thought you were…"
As the old man surveyed the remainder of the group standing stoically behind Ethan, his eyes fell upon Edward and Bella. Instantly, his expression moved from one of wonder and friendliness to one of hatred and hostility.
In that instant, something inside Ethan's brain clicked and the final pieces of his puzzled memory fell into place.
"Papa Nanuk! You were the principal at Cantwell School and the Historian for the Tribal Warriors. Your big brother was Mom's second in command." As Ethan spoke, he reached out and shook the old man's hand enthusiastically.
Papa Nanuk smiled slightly and dropped his arm to lean back casually against the counter – picking up his still smoldering pipe and taking a long drag from it – before replying, "The kids call me Chief Nanuk now since your mom… And, I'm still the principal of Cantwell School. We have 25 students now in grades K through 12. As for the Tribal Warriors…well, they're hardly warriors since those…"
As Chief Nanuk's voice trailed off, he looked past Ethan straight into Edward's golden butterscotch eyes, and although now mixed with confusion, the fiery daggers being shot from his chocolate brown eyes were lost on no one… especially Edward and Bella. Edward instinctively drew Bella close to his side, wrapping his arms protectively around her waist. Bella squeezed his hand and opened her shield so Edward could hear her thoughts.
Relax, my love. He obviously doesn't have a very positive frame of reference when it comes to vampires. Give Ethan a chance to smooth things over. It'll be okay.
But Ethan was never one to beat around the bush and mince words.
"Look, Papa…Chief Nanuk. We are all obviously in the know concerning shape shifters, vampires, and what have you. Every person in this room knows my history and what happened here ten years ago. So, let's just cut to the chase. This is Edward Cullen and his wife, Bella. They are friends of mine and nothing like the bloodsuckers that killed my parents and all the other warriors. Edward's family doesn't feed on humans. They feed on animals. So, they pose no threat to the people of Cantwell. They're here to help. And, I think you know just how badly you're going to need that help."
Wishing they had brought Jasper along to diffuse the situation, Bella turned her head slowly to meet the gaze of the man who at that moment represented pure hatred and delivered her most heart-warming smile before purring musically, "Hello, Chief Nanuk. It's nice to meet you."
The daggers lessoned infinitesimally as Chief Nanuk smiled timidly at Bella before turning his attention back to Ethan, who had wrapped his arm around Leah's shoulder and pulled her forward towards the counter.
"And this is my wife, Leah… Her brother, Seth Clearwater... And their pack leader, Jacob Black. They're shape shifters like me. Only, they phase into wolves, not large cats."
Chief Nanuk's eyes widened in surprise as he looked into each one of the Quileute's eyes, processing this new information. Then, without warning, he doubled over in a fit of laughter. When he realized that the whole band of visitors, save one, was looking at him as if he'd lost his mind, he snorted and opened up the registry book, plucked an ink pen from behind his ear, and said mysteriously, "All will be clear in the morning. Here are the keys to cabin number one, cabin number two, and cabin number three. The kitchens are stocked with food and the wood for each fire place is stacked by the back door of each cabin. Now, I imagine if you can find your way back over here in the morning…say around ten a.m. or so…I can arrange a field trip of some sorts for the Cantwell School Sophomore class. Until then, enjoy your stay with us here at The Lodge."
With that, Chief Nanuk took another long drag of his pipe and opened the newspaper back up to whatever story had his attention before the small band of interlopers had entered the building.
Bella sat cross-legged on the floor of cabin number one in front a blazing fire with her lap top perched atop her bare alabaster legs.
Edward had barely made it inside the door before he was overcome with the need to throw her down and ravage her right on top of the authentic bear skin rug. Mind reading definitely had its perks from time to time…especially when on a long cross country drive accompanied by a couple of sexed-up newlyweds. Bella chuckled softly at the thought of what was sure to be going on over in cabin number two.
"Isabella, do you have any idea how utterly sexy you are in my shirt?"
Edward practically purred in Bella's ear running his hand slowly up her leg starting at the tip of her big toe and stopping just below the barricade the lap top provided.
Bella didn't answer…just smiled lazily and continued to type.
Edward growled playfully and nipped her right earlobe before planting a kiss on her neck and making a soft trail of kisses up to her mouth.
Bella sighed and spoke into the kiss with a mumble, "If you're trying to distract me again, it's working."
"Good." Edward chuckled into her mouth and snapped the lap top closed, shoving it to the floor and pulling Bella onto his lap in one motion.
As he began to slowly unbutton Bella's shirt, Edward asked, "Do you think I should tell Ethan what awaits him tomorrow? I could probably catch him unoccupied for maybe the next ten minutes… tops."
The gleam in Edward's eye caused Bella to giggle. It had been a stressful couple of days and it was nice to see Edward having a little fun. Even if it was at Ethan's expense.
"I suppose you could. But there's one little problem," hummed Bella as she turned to straddle Edward, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Problem? What problem, Love?" Edward grinned and unbuttoned the final button, sliding the shirt down over Bella's shoulders and trapping her arms inside the sleeves. Holding her hands firmly in his iron grip, Edward showered butterfly soft kisses all the way down Bella's bare chest from her collar bone to her navel.
Bella shuttered and gasped before replying in a raspy voice, "Ethan may not be occupied at the moment, but you are about to be a very busy man, Mr. Cullen."
There was no more talk of Ethan or what surprises were in store for him tomorrow for the rest of the night.
By the time Jacob and Seth emerged from cabin number three on Wednesday morning, another foot of snow had fallen on Cantwell. The path that had once been cleared to the front steps of the deck on the lodge was completely buried, and Chief Nanuk was laboriously attempting to clear it again. Jacob and Seth exchanged a couple of "You…No, You" glances along with a couple of fists to the shoulder before rolling their eyes at one another and picking up a shovel each to begin helping the older man with the daunting task.
Not long after the path had been cleared, Leah stuck her head out of cabin number two and yelled that breakfast was ready if they wanted it. Jacob and Seth sat down seconds later to a full breakfast feast of scrambled eggs, bacon, blueberry muffins, and fresh fruit.
Speaking with a full mouth, Seth looked up at Leah and said, "Man! Sis, you been holdin' out on us! I thought Em was the only cook in the family."
Leah scowled and threw a dishtowel at Seth before grumbling, "Well, that's what you get for thinking isn't it? Just don't get used to it. As far as anybody else knows, Em IS the only cook in the family. You got it?"
Leah pointed menacingly with a spatula first at Seth, then at Jacob. Both boys laughed and shook their heads in agreement before diving back into their meals.
"Thank you both for helping Pa…Chief Nanuk clear the walk this morning." Ethan ruffled Seth's hair as he sat back down at the table after refilling his coffee mug.
"Although, I'm surprised he let you do it without kicking up a fuss. Let me tell you…that man is pure legend around here. Do you know how he got his name…Nanuk?"
Leah, Seth, and Jacob all stopped eating simultaneously to look up at Ethan expectantly.
"One day when he was about 16, Jimmy…that was his name then… was out ice fishing with some of his Inuit buddies on the Tundra. They came up on a baby polar bear that had fallen through the ice. They had no way of knowing how long he'd been there, but they knew they had to get him out or he'd die. So, Jimmy and his buddies made a lasso out of some rope and somehow got it around the baby bear's chest. They hooked the rope to the sled and let the dogs do the rest. But, just about the time the baby polar bear came tumbling out onto the ice, the mama came out of nowhere, charging right for Jimmy and his buddies. Jimmy never saw her coming…he was too busy getting the rope off the baby bear who was too tired by then to put up any kind of fight at all. The mama grabbed Jimmy right at the back of the neck and shook him around like a ragdoll. By the time one of his buddies found the shot gun on the sled and fired the shot that scared the bears away, Jimmy was unconscious and bleeding real bad. They took him back to their village where a doctor from the mainland just happened to be staying for the winter. The doctor sewed him up and Jimmy lived to tell the tale. The Inuits were so amazed that he lived through the attack that they gave him the nickname Nanuk… which means polar bear in Inuit. People around here tend to think Chief Nanuk is immortal or something."
As Ethan finished his story, Jacob sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Speaking of immortal…How is it that Chief Nanuk isn't a shape shifter…or a panther… or whatever people phase into around here?" Jacob asked with a puzzled expression.
Once again, Seth and Leah stopped eating to look at Ethan expectantly.
Ethan sat his coffee mug down and propped his arms up on the table before answering.
"Chief Nanuk was the second born son. His brother, Johnny, was the first born, so he received the shape shifting…uh…gene…I guess is what you'd call it. After the polar bear attack, the Tribal Warriors made Chief Nanuk an honorary member and gave him the title of historian."
"It's amazing how different while still similar our tribes' histories are. I can't wait to meet the boys today," mused Leah as she stood and began clearing away the table.
At ten o'clock sharp, the Forks extraction crew strolled into the front office of the lodge and was met by an extremely bundled Chief Nanuk.
Thankfully, Alice had envisioned their need for extreme winter gear and had been more than happy to supply them with the latest and most stylish winter fashions…for appearances, of course. The trip to the local school took half an hour by snow mobile, and it would have definitely raised suspicion had they not looked the part.
While the rather strange looking group waited in the front office and fielded wondering glances from the older lady behind the counter, Principal Nanuk – the man wore so many hats it was hard to keep track – gathered the sophomore class of Cantwell School into an empty classroom. Shortly after, he walked back into the office and led the Forks group back to where the new Ahtena Tribal Warriors sat in waiting.
The door opened and the six visitors from Forks followed Chief Nanuk into the room. Edward and Bella hung back and allowed Ethan, Leah, Jacob, and Seth to take charge of the initial meeting. They exchanged amused glances in anticipation of what they knew would follow. Edward couldn't help but chuckle quietly from the back of the room because he knew what was coming…the old man had revealed it to him through his thoughts the night before. But, even Edward was not prepared for what happened next. No one was…least of all Seth.
"Warriors, this is Ethan Pelletier and his friends from Forks, Washington. They've come to help us with our…problem."
Chief Nanuk stepped to the side and motioned Ethan and the others forward before continuing.
"Ethan, meet your Tribal Warriors."
As Ethan and the Quileute werewolves stepped forward, the Tribal Warriors all stood and moved towards them, extending their hands out in greeting. But the hands were met with empty air and stunned silence. Then, three things happened simultaneously.
Leah began giggling uncontrollably.
Ethan and Jacob gaped in disbelief.
Seth gasped as if all the air had been pulled from his lungs.
Somewhere in the Universe, a cataclysmic cosmic shift had occurred. Standing before him were three boys and four of the most beautiful girls he'd ever seen. Then, as he met the gaze of the tallest girl, something inside of Seth exploded and a million brilliant lights blinded his vision. His heart almost seemed to stop beating all together as it stuttered and started up again. In that moment, Seth understood Leah's once disgusting happiness… he knew he was forever changed. He would die for this girl and he didn't even know her name.
