Previously:

Suddenly, she was laying face down in the grass. Naked. Her hands pushed her up from the ground and she smiled in success. She did it! It felt good to be human again… but nowhere near as wonderful it felt to be a wolf. The freedom of the forest was calling to her, but she wanted answers. She needed answers.

She threw on the shirt and shorts - both being way too big for her. The shirt came down to her knees and the shorts had to be cinched super tight, but it was better than being naked.

She cleared her throat and Sam turned around slowly.

Hands on her hips, Bella stared at Sam.

"What the hell is happening to me… and why?"

Chapter 4:

"Please, come inside. What's your name?" Sam said and gestured toward the door.

I started forward, keeping an eye on him from the corner of my eye.

"Bella. My name is Bella Swan. Will you please just tell me what's going on here?"

They made their way inside the small house, the back door leading to the kitchen. Sam busied himself with filling the kettle and putting it on the stove before answering.

"Coffee? Tea?" He said without looking at her.

With everything happening - with her full on bursting into a full grown wolf of all things - she had a feeling she would need the extra burst of energy.

"Coffee please. Black. I have a feeling I'll need it."

He nodded and silently began making two cups of coffee. As soon as he had two steaming cups in hand, he turned and looked at me.

"So tell me Bella, I'd like to know your side of the story first. Why did you end up like this?"

As soon as he had set one cup in front of her, and sat down in the chair opposite of the rustic kitchen table, she gripped her cup tightly.

"Honestly, I would just like to have some answers as to how I'm even here in the first place. I was meant to be… something else."

His answering hum was noncommittal. He simply waited for her to answer.

Sighing in frustration, she began. "Well it all started with this dream…"

Slowly, she told him of her strange dream, and the day she had so far. "Everything has happened so fast, I feel like I haven't processed it yet. I don't know what's happening to me. What am I? I just want some answers."

Suddenly, exhaustion overtook her body and she looked at Sam through heavy lidded eyes.

"How about we talk after you've had a nap. I'll answer all your questions then."

He showed her to a neat nice clean bedroom. She plopped on the bed and was out within seconds.

Bella woke up slightly disoriented. She was in an unfamiliar room. Where was she? Then it all came flooding back. The change. Her wild run through the forest. Sam.

She started to breathe faster, her heart rate increasing with every breath. What on earth was happening to her? Was she a freak? A monster?

As the thoughts continued to circle around in her head, Sam came into the room. He looked at her alarmed before walking over and pulling her into his lap.

"Shhh Bella, it's okay. It'll be okay. Don't panic, everything is going to be alright." He continued to sooth her with a hand on her back as she pressed her face into his neck.

"This is so wrong. I don't even know you… But I feel like I can trust you. Why? I need answers, Sam." Bella pulled back enough to look at Sam's face.

"Alright, come on. Let's go sit down and talk." He led her to the modest living room and they sat down on the couch.

Sam took a deep breath before beginning, "There are legends. Legends of the Quileute tribe. It's said that we are descended from wolves. Those legends are true. My change happened about a year ago. I didn't know what was happening to me, and I ran in the woods for over two months until I spotted Old Quil calling my name. When I came forward, still in my wolf form, he told me of them. He told me what I had become. A shapeshifter. A werewolf. Slowly, I began to come back to myself. Eventually I learned how to shift back. Ever since then, I've been helping the rest come to terms with their fates as protectors of the tribe. There are a few of us now. Jared and Paul were the first after me. Then came Embry. I have a feeling a couple more are going to shit… even though they left."

She inhaled sharply. Even speaking of them in reference hurt. She felt the hole in her stomach start to unravel, and quickly wrapped her arms around her.

Sam eyed her carefully before speaking again. "As for you, I have a theory but I don't know for sure. Are you at all related to any of us in the tribe in any way?"

She shook her head no, and he nodded thoughtfully.

"There are some legends, thought to "believed myth. Until I talk to the elders, I won't be able to answer though. I think we all are wondering why you?"

She could feel his gaze heavy on her face but she couldn't bring herself to turn towards him.

"So I'm a… werewolf." She said, more than a little uncertainty in her voice.

"Yes." Sam nodded.

"What do I tell my dad? What about school? What am I supposed to do?" The questions poured out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"We will figure it out, okay? Your situation is… unique. There has never been a female shifter before in any of our stories. We will answer them as we cross them." He placated.

"Sam… you said others were going to shift, right?"

"Yeah, I did." He said cautiously.

She took a deep breath before meeting his gaze, "You were talking about Jake, weren't you?"

Sam looked away without answering and that's all it took for her to know. He'd become like her. Like them.

Sam abruptly got up from his spot on the couch and started towards the back door. "Come on Bella, let's let the others know. I bet they're dying to find out what's going on."

Bella got up and followed Sam quickly. He was faster than she thought he'd be and he was already halfway across the back yard by the time she got to the door. "Shouldn't you just use the phone?" She asked.

With a smirk in her direction, he began unbuttoning his cutoffs. Bella blushed and quickly looked the other way. Quickly turning back around when she heard snapping and popping, in Sam's place was a giant black wolf.

Sam motioned with his head in a Come on then motion.

"What, do you want me to follow you on foot or something?"

He looked at her and if a wolf could convey words he would be saying "No, silly. You should shift. Duh."

She looked at him with her hands on her hips "Turn around. I want to see if I can't do it by myself this time."

Sam obliged and turned his back to her.

She closed her eyes and let the memories of running in her wolf form float through her mind's eye. She remembered the smells, and the sights. The different colors. Suddenly she opened her eyes as she felt something shift inside of her.

She'd done it! She'd shifted on her own for the first time.

To be continued...