A/N Thank you guys for sticking with me. I love the pack, I love writing them although they don't always make it easy for me. So here we go, back to our favorite half-naked group of men.

Chapter 9 – The Next Generation

We walked onto the beach. Leah, Sam, Jake and Quil were already there, standing next to each other, the two alpha's in the middle. Seth and I looked at each other, wondering what was up. Until I realized that this was the future counsel. Someday the elders in the counsel would retire and then these would take their places, Leah to fill the shoes of her dad and mom. Sam the Alpha, Jake the head of the counsel as the representative of the Black bloodline and Quil to take the place of his grandfather.

We grew quiet and walked slower toward them; they were still as well, just standing there. Waiting for us. The fire in the bonfire pit was already lit and the flames were flickering behind them. The sight was really impressive.

Leah was holding something in her hands and when we came closer we could see it was a book. In the light of the fire it looked old. We came to a stop in a semi-circle around them, watching and waiting.

'Generations of packs have preserved their stories.' Sam spoke up.

'Tonight it will be our turn.' Jake looked at everybody.

'We've already added all our names,' Quil spoke, while Leah opened up to book. The pages were yellowed with age. I recognized it now; it had been present at every bonfire when a new wolf was introduced to the pack. Billy or old Quil had been holding it but I never really paid any attention to it.

The pages were graced with artwork; there was the symbol of the tribe, the tattoo we all bore. Wolves had been drawn on the pages, in the corners, the middle looked like it was waiting for new words. The top of the page just said, 'The Next Generation'.

Below that, in order of phasing, our names graced the pages. I grinned wide reading over them. Sam, Jared, Paul and then me. Embry Call. I looked at Quil and he grinned back at me.

'Tonight we will tell the story of the fight with the new born army.' Leah continued. 'We will write about what happened so our stories may be remembered. So that our stories may be told to younger generations.'

We all sat down on the logs surrounding the fire, which was being kept small. Warm enough to warm us, although we didn't need it, small enough so we could all see Leah who was writing in the book and listen to Sam, who told the story as it was to be written down.

The mood lightened as he neared the end of the story, we clapped Seth's back when his victory was mentioned. The pack did quiet down when the story ended with a wounded Jake. But Jake was grinning, he was still wrapped up in bandages, and wincing slightly every time he moved. But he was there.

After the story had been written down, the book was passed around. Everybody got a chance to see the story that had been told, the illustrations that graced the pages. I grinned wide at it as I saw a drawing that had been made of a vampire and two wolves working together; I nudged Quil with my shoulder and showed him. It was a good drawing too, the colours were great and both me and Quil were easily recognisable. Even the leech, Emmett, I think, was very well drawn.

'Who do you think drew this?' I asked Quil as we examined the page together.

He shrugged and leaned closer to the page, tracing the picture of his wolf with a finger.

'Dunno, but it has to be someone close to the pack. It's amazing.'

'Leah did them.'

I looked up to hear Jacob speak. Then I looked at Leah who was poking the sand with a stick, watching the fire.

'You did them?'

She looked up at me, 'why so surprised?'

'I just didn't know you could draw like this.'

This time she shrugged and turned back to the fire, I handed the book to Quil who passed it to Seth. Seth stared at the pages for a long time, he grinned when he read about his own victory and the picture of his wolf next to it. He finally passed the book on to Jared next to him when he turned to me.

He almost lay across Quil's lap as he whispered.

'Leah is really good at arts, she draws and paints and everything. Even got a scholarship for it.'

Quil and I stared at him.

'Why didn't we know this,' I had to ask. 'How come she's not at college then?'

'She phased,' Seth shrugged. 'She phased and had to stay here with us.'

I looked at Leah who was still tending the fire, and I couldn't help wondering how much more she had to give up. Or what other things in her live weren't as she once thought they would be. Sam, the phasing and now the scholarship.

When the book returned to Sam, he put it in a quilt he had brought, it also had the native designs that were on the book. Then he put it in his bag and he stood up.

'Tonight we will run.' He announced in the voice of the alpha and I could see everybody straightening. 'We will run, not because we have to, but because we can. Tonight we celebrate the gifts of our ancestors.'

'And then we drink.' Jake laughed slightly, he looked sour, he couldn't phase yet. He hadn't healed completely, so he would stay here, to watch the book and the fire.

'Come.'

Sam stood up and we all followed the command, we stayed on the beach, we would phase here, in the open. Tonight we would not hide. Jake had walked toward the edge and gave the thumbs up, meaning that we were alone.

We took off our shorts, even Leah didn't care this time. We lifted our face up to the sky and howled like we were already wolves when we phased all together. I didn't know how we did it exactly. It was like we had already a pack mind, we just phased all at the same time. We took off. Over the beach and toward the forest. I loved it, the pack mind was happy and filled with relieve and joy, we ran just because we could.

We focussed on our muscles that felt powerful, on our paws that hit the forest floor, making it sound like a deep rumble, like the tribal drums. The wind through our fur, I grinned as Jared and Paul were bumping shoulders, laughing loudly in their minds. Sam was remembering the wolves that went before us. Leah was focussing on the wind. And Quil was humming those damn Disney songs again.

Dude….you're going to get me traumatized, you know that right.

He laughed and snapped at my ear, so Seth tackled him and they were rolling over the ground. Slamming into a tree. We stopped so we could watch them, laughing loudly as Quil shook his head.

Dizzy…

Sam let us laugh for a bit before he took the lead again.

To the cliffs guys.

We jumped to our feet, or paws, again and ran as fast as we could. A little competition never hurt anybody after all. Leah was in the lead, Sam right on her tail and even little Seth was making her work for it.

When we got to the cliffs we stood shoulder to shoulder, watching the water in the moonlight, watching La Push beneath us. We even saw the bonfire on the beach glowing in the distance. I grinned wide; thoughts of my mom and the fight forgotten, just enjoying this moment with my brothers and sister.

Sam threw his head back and he howled. Like a real wolf he howled at the moon and it seemed only right. We all joined in, one at a time we lifted our muzzles to the moon and let out a loud howl.

It was our way of showing La Push that we were here, we were here and we always would be. Ready to protect and defend.

Protect the tribe….

Protect the land…

Protect the people…

We got back to the beach still being very happy, we phased back, put our short back on and laughed walking toward Jake. Only then did we see that he wasn't alone.

'Serena?'

She jumped when she heard me calling for her, standing up fidgeting with her fingers.

'Hi Embry.'

'What are you doing here?'

She blushed hard enough for us to see in the light of the fire, Jake stood up too and looked at us and then back to her.

'She saw.'

Sam stepped forward, his face set to thunder.

'You said it was all clear.' He looked at Jake, frowning so bad I'd thought his face would break from the strain he put on it.

'Oh! It's not his fault…Sir. Really. I climbed a tree you see,' Serena interrupted; she looked at Sam but quickly looked away when she saw his eyes. 'And then I fell out of it after….well after…'

'We turned into a bunch of wolves?' I tried to joke but only got glares from everybody.

'Yes!' Serena took a couple paces to me. 'So it's true?'

'I don't know…Are you high?'

'Embry! Of course not.'

I grinned, 'then it must be true.'

'Wow,' her eyes travelled over all of us, until they stopped just to the right of me, lingering. 'Weird.'

'Totally,' Seth breathed, he took two steps to her and held out his hand. 'Hi, Seth Clearwater.'

Serena smiled and blushed even harder. 'Serena Call.'

'Awesome.'

I wanted to smack Seth on the head at that point, what the heck was going on with the pup. But it was Leah who beat me too it. She walked past me and smacked the back of his head.

'Snap out of it!'

Seth blinked a couple times, looked quickly at Leah but his eyes shot back to Serena.

'Yeah,….I don't think that is gonna happen.' He was still holding Serena's hand; she was blushing but didn't try to take it back from him.

Now Leah her eyes shot back and forth between Seth and Serena as they stared into each other's eyes

'Ugh!' she left after that, walking to the other side of the fire and planted down on one of the logs.

Sam turned to me, 'Embry, your cousin, your responsibility.'

I couldn't do anything but nod and stare at Sam then back to Serena and Seth.

'Uhm, Sam. I don't think that you'll have to worry about her being an outsider who knows.'

I couldn't help but grin, it was all so obvious. Little Seth Clearwater just imprinted. Until it hit me. That was my cousin he was gawking at! My only and much younger cousin.

'Seth!' I put a hand on his shoulder and steered him away from her, pushing him down on a log too. Turning back to Serena, seeing that that only earned me a visit from the evil eye.

'Rude.' She hissed at moved passed me, making sure her shoulder collided with mine. And she sat down next to Seth.

Slowly everybody came back to the present as they still stared at the newcomer to the party but we all grabbed a beer and sat by the fire. I grabbed an extra one, handing it to Leah when I sat down beside her. She grumbled something in response but took it anyways.

We didn't say anything for a long time; most of us were quiet, just staring into the fire, looking at the flames licking the wood. Just being content to be there, being relaxed in this moment. The moment where it was just us, the pack, brothers and sister. No monsters, no leeches, no threats, no fear of keeping the secret. Well no, especially not that last one since my cousin had walked in on the whole phasing.

I wondered why she was here. Had she come looking for me? Had my mom send her? I didn't like the not knowing.

'Relax, Emb.'

Leah's breath was hot on my ear and my neck as she was leaning to me to whisper the words in my ear. I instantly let my shoulder drop, realizing only now that they had been tense.

'Your face looks like it's about to crack too.'

She laughed quietly and a hand moved over my lower back, sending goose bumps over my skin. I couldn't help but grin when her laugh sounded so deliciously in my ear and I felt my face relax too.

'Good puppy.'

I chuckled softly, looking around the fire before turning my face to hers, seeing that conversation was slowly starting everywhere and nobody was paying attention to us.

'Are you trying to seduce me, Leah?' Feeling her hand move over my ass, her fingers wiggling around the top of my shorts.

'Like you mind.'

She was right, I didn't. I had to even bite my lip to stop the groan that threatened to escape me. Her finger and hands felt so good. Her touch was caring, soothing but exciting at the same time.

I looked at her, wondering what it was. She released things in me, I wanted to protect her, keep her safe from everything. I wanted to hold her at night, I wanted to mate with her.

We just grinned at each other like two idiots, her eyes were moving over my face as she bit her lip. I couldn't hold back the soft growl that escaped me.

'I want you.'

I said it low enough so that only she would hear, my leg pressed against hers. Her heat sending shivers right to my cock, it was already twitching painfully against my khaki shorts. She rested her shoulder against mine, smiling as she drank her beer, teasing me.

I looked at the faces of my brothers, wondering if we could sneak off without getting caught. Seth was still staring into Serena's eyes and she was giving him the same dopey look. Holding hands their fingers laced, I couldn't believe it. Leah's brother, my pack brother and my cousin... This would get very interesting.

Jared and Paul were fidgeting. Seeming anxious they were talking in low rushed tones, they probably couldn't wait to get back to their girlfriends.

Leah turned to me, resting her chin on my shoulder as she whispered.

'I'll take Seth home, you take care of your cousin,' she moved her hand for an instant over my thigh, brushing her pinkie over the bulge in my shorts. 'Meet me back on third beach after that?'

I couldn't do anything but nod. My body wound tight wanting to push her backwards off the log into the sand, I couldn't care less about the fact that the whole pack was there. I wanted her. I wanted her here on the sand, to push her shirt up and take those perfect little breasts in my hands and my mouth.

She chuckled softly, probably knowing what was going through my mind, I turned to her grinning wide.

'Third beach.'

'Soon...' The word was only a breath leaving her mouth, she groaned softly.

She stood up fast, probably feeling the same way I did, I watched her as she walked toward Seth, pushing his shoulder.

'Come on.'

His eyes didn't even waver from Serena as he shook his head. 'Not yet.'

'We're going, you still have a curfew,' Leah growled. 'Imprinted or not.'

I decided to head over, tapping Serena on her shoulder.

'Time for us to go too.'

If looks could kill, Seth would have fried both me and his sister.

'Whoa brother, you'll get to see her again tomorrow.'

Leah rolled her eyes, I knew she always dreaded the day Seth would imprint. Her dad died, her mom was always over at Charlie's, Seth was really was the only one she completely trusted. The only one she dared to lean on. To open up to.

I sighed slightly, this was bad timing alright. 'Come on Serena.'

'Alright, alright! Geez.'

She looked confused at Leah, who was shooting her dirty looks, she smiled shyly at Seth and whispered to him.

'Hope to see you soon.'

He got up too, grinning. 'I'll come by tomorrow.'

She smiled; I took her arm and pulled her with me, yelling a 'good night' to the rest of the pack. They all bellowed back nights, we could hear their laughter as soon as we left the sand. It sounded like thunder the laughter was so loud.

She looked at me, before looking down, her hands twisting, fidgeting. I laughed softly at her unease.

'Relax.'

'I don't understand anything, Emb. Like nothing about this night made sense.'

She looked at me, her eyes wide.

'Not now Serena,' running my hand through my hair. 'Can we talk tomorrow, I'm real tired.'

'Okay, but we go and have breakfast!' She nudged me with her shoulder. 'And I want to know everything.'

I hope you all enjoyed that, I knew I had fun writing it! So what do yall think? Serena and Seth...at the same time while Leah and Embry are getting together. How will Leah react to that one? Or Embry for that matter...Cute Little Seth, finally getting a girl of his own. Please Read and Review!