Legends
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.
Chapter One-Bonfire
The wolf pack could be rowdy. Bella actually found she enjoyed the chaos, as well as the good-natured banter as they fought amongst themselves. Some would always get under her skin (Paul Lahote being the prime motivator when it came to squabbles about her place in the pack hierarchy), but generally she got on well with all of them.
However, since Edward and the Cullens had come back into her life, she'd had little chance to spend any time with the pack. Bella found she missed them, much more than she expected to. She had really struggled with Jacob's constant rejection (something that had not gone unnoticed by Edward) when she tried to make amends after returning from Italy. It had taken a lot of effort on both sides to get to a good place. And Bella felt they were there now. He had invited her to the bonfire party after all-and Edward had said he was okay with it-so she found herself looking forward to spending time with her best friend and the pack without having to nurse a guilty conscience.
"Thanks for inviting me, Jake." Bella gushed for the hundredth time as he led her toward the others sitting around the bonfire.
The fire came to light up the night, to warm air that was more accustomed to the winter chill. Bella settled down on one end of the log, with Jacob sprawled out on the ground in front of her. He leaned against Bella's knees, offering up a hotdog he had spitted on a straightened wire hanger.
"I can't eat anymore, Jake. You have it." Bella declined, trying to supress a smile.
"Okay, I'm about to puke, but I think I can force it down." Jacob flashed her one of his incorrigible grins as he shoved the hotdog in his mouth, whole.
The fire crackled, settling lower toward the sand. Sparks blew up in a sudden puff of brilliant orange against the black sky. The bonfire brought such golden light, a bonny echo to the stars. Bella was totally relaxed, something she hadn't felt for a long time. She had worried about showing up with Jacob at the bonfire, worried that the pack would hold her reunion with the Cullens against her, but when Jacob towed her out of the forest to the meeting place, it had all been very casual and light.
"Here comes the vampire girl." Paul had quipped, earning himself a cuff on the back of the head from Embry, who was sitting beside him. "What did I say that wasn't the truth?" He complained as he rubbed the back of his stinging scalp.
"Dumbass." Embry had muttered.
To cover for Paul's slip up, Quil had jumped up to give Bella a high five and kiss her on the cheek. Bella's cheeks blazed red when he did this, earning herself some good-natured teasing from some of the others. Emily had squeezed her hand in solidarity as Bella passed her to sit on the log. Other than a few teasing comments about keeping the vamp stench downwind (mainly coming from Paul), Bella felt like she belonged.
It wasn't just kids in attendance, Billy was there, his wheelchair planted at the natural head of the circle. Beside him on a folding lawn chair, looking quite lively and energetic for someone of his aged years, was Quil's ancient, white-haired grandfather, Old Quil. Bella actually blushed when the old man gave her a cheeky wink when he saw his grandson giving her an enthusiastic hug when she first arrived, she could see where young Quil got his cockiness from. On Old Quil's other side sat Sue Clearwater, widow of Charlie's friend Harry. Her children, Leah and Seth, formed a protective circle around their mother. Bella could see from the way Billy and Old Quil spoke to Sue that it was clear she had taken her husband's place on the council.
The whole pack was there: Sam and Emily, Paul, Embry, Quil and Jared with Kim, the girl he had imprinted on. Seeing them together got Bella wondering about Leah and what her thoughts were now that another member of the pack had imprinted. Bella thought it must be difficult for the she-wolf to sit across the circle from Sam and Emily. Her beautiful face was closed off, she showed no emotion as she stared into the flames.
"It's getting late." Bella whispered to Jacob. Her cell phone had already gone off twice, one glance at the messages showing they were all from Edward. She hoped he wasn't staking out the treaty line already, waiting for her.
"The party hasn't started yet." Jacob whispered back-though why he bothered to whisper when more than half of the group had hearing sensitive enough to hear everything he was saying. "The best part is coming. I never actually told you this, but technically this is a council meeting. Its Quil's first time, and he hasn't heard the stories yet. Well, he's heard them." He corrected himself. "But this is the first time he knows they're true. Kim and Seth and Leah are all first timers, too. And you I guess." He added, frowning slightly.
"You brought me to a council meeting?" Bella said in surprise. "And they let you?"
Jacob scooted closer to her. He put his arm over her shoulder and leaned close to her ear, lowering his voice further. "This is important, Bells. Tonight, you are going to hear the histories we always thought were legends. The stories of how we came to be. The story of the spirit warriors."
Bella's eyes widened. "Spirit warriors." She breathed, thinking that moniker suited the pack better than werewolves. She turned to glance at him, in the flickering flames of the bonfire he was all broad shoulders and strong limbs, his characteristic soft expression waiting for the golden illumination to tumble onto his skin. He was beautiful. Striking. Bella looked away quickly before her expression gave away what she was thinking.
It was this point that Billy cleared his throat noisily to attract everyone's attention. He began telling the story in his deep, rich voice, immediately captivating Bella. She listened intently as the words poured out of him, like poetry performed by its author.
"And their numbers have forced a larger pack than the tribe have ever seen." Billy was coming to the end. Even though he had been speaking for an age, he still had his audience's full attention.
"Except, of course, in Taha Aki's time." Old Quil cut in gravely. His glittering dark eyes looked around the captive audience, his gaze finally resting on Bella. "And so, the sons of our tribe once again carry the burden and share the sacrifice their father's endured before them. But to what end we don't yet know."
Bella felt her skin burning under the elder's intense gaze. She wished he would focus it elsewhere, but he seemed intent on making her feel uncomfortable. She tried to make herself smaller by pressing further into Jacob's side.
"You okay, Bells." Jacob asked when he felt her move. He looked down at her in concern when she tried to burrow even closer to his warmth. "The stories didn't frighten you, did they?"
"No." Bella shook her head. "I enjoyed them. And they definitely gave me a better understanding of everything. I feel privileged that you all shared them with me."
"You're one of us, Bells." Jacob reminded her gently. "I'm glad that you're here with me." He was about to say more when a shadow fell across them. They both looked up to find Old Quil standing in front of them. "Hey." Jacob greeted the old man cautiously.
"Would you mind if I borrowed your young lady for a moment?" Old Quil asked courteously.
"I mean…she's not…. she is…um…Bells?" Jacob looked at her helplessly, confused as to why the old man wanted to speak to Bella alone and whether she would be okay with that.
Bella glanced between Jacob and Old Quil. She felt uneasy, but didn't want to appear impolite and refuse the elder's request. "Of course, that's fine." She agreed, rising to her feet.
Old Quil chuckled, low and long, and Bella's apprehension completely disappeared. He offered her his arm and she took it. "Don't worry, young Jacob. I'm not stealing her away forever. Go spend some time with your friends. We'll be back soon."
Jacob climbed to his feet, his gaze focused on Bella's face, trying to make sure that she really was alright with the situation. She seemed relaxed, so he relaxed. "Just come find me when you're done." He said, shrugging.
As Old Quil led her away, Bella's mind was a thousand years away. She was thinking about the story Old Quil had shared with the group, of the third wife, an ancient Quileute woman, who was the last wife of Taha Aki, and one of the most legendary people in her tribe known for her sacrifice for the tribe. She was just a human woman, with no special gifts or powers. Physically weaker than any of the monsters in the story. But she had been the key, the solution. She had saved her husband, her young sons, her tribe, by sacrificing her own life.
Something shook her arm. Bella startled and turned her head to find Old Quil gazing at her intently. "You looked deep in thought, my dear. Anything I can help with?"
"Oh, nothing." Bella felt her cheeks grow warm under his scrutiny.
"I highly doubt its nothing." Old Quil's heavily lined face relaxed into a smile. "Tell me what you were thinking about."
Bella stared at him, wondering if she dared to share. He might wonder why this story more than any of the others had captured her attention. But something about the way he was looking at her made her feel compelled to answer truthfully. "I was just thinking about the third wife's sacrifice. It was such a momentous thing she did…and we don't even know her name."
"That's true. We don't know her name." Old Quil agreed solemnly. "I get the feeling you feel an affinity with her."
Bella shook her head in denial. "No…why would I? I would never have the courage to do what she did."
"I beg to differ." Old Quil disagreed. He reached for Bella's right hand and turned it palm upward. She immediately moved to cover her exposed wrist with her left hand, to try and conceal James' bite mark. But a stern look from the elder stopped her. "You already bear the scars of your own sacrifice, Bella. You were bitten by a cold one after going to your mother's rescue. You were willing to sacrifice your life for your family, just like the third wife. So, please, don't tell me you don't have courage."
Bella went cold all over. She felt betrayed. She had told Jacob what had happened with James in confidence. "I can't believe Jake told you." She said hoarsely.
"Jacob told me nothing." Old Quil revealed quietly.
"Then how do you know?" Bella demanded.
"Why are you ashamed?" Old Quil countered.
"I'm not! I'm – "Bella paused, lowering her gaze and swallowing thickly.
"What?" Old Quil prompted.
Bella's eyes filled with liquid tears. She still couldn't look at him. "He's marked me for life. It's a constant reminder of my human frailty. It was only sheer luck that Edward arrived in time and killed James. He sucked out the venom."
The elder frowned heavily, his gaze drawn to her scarred wrist. "That's impossible, my dear."
"Why?" Bella said faintly.
"If it only takes a bite from a vampire for them to inject their venom, which then goes through the body of the victim to change every living cell and thus turn them into a vampire, then this James' bite should have transformed you, had the Cullens not arrived on time. But by biting you in order to suck the venom out of your body, Edward Cullen should have also infected you, but he didn't. It makes no logical sense that he could suck out the venom, because once he bit you, he was infecting you with his." Old Quil explained carefully.
Bella absorbed the elder's words, her heart thumping madly in her chest. She had tried not to dwell on the whole frightening experience afterwards. All she had thought about at the time was how much of a sacrifice Edward had gone through for her sake. She was his singer, her blood called to him, for him to be able to restrain himself enough not to drain her completely was a testament of his love for her, wasn't it?
"I don't know what you're trying to imply."
"I am not implying anything. I am stating fact. By vampire logic, as soon as Edward bit you in an effort to suck the venom out of your blood, he would have infected you with his own venom. But here you are still human. I think it's clear that there can be only one explanation as to why."
"What?" Bella whispered.
Old Quil looked at her gravely. "You have been bitten by two cold ones and here you are, still alive, still human. You are immune to vampire venom, Bella. You can never be changed."
A/N-thanks for reading!