News of the big pack meeting spread through the reservation like wildfire. It was the only thing that people seemed to be talking about. Fear, excitement, everyone had a different feeling towards the huge event. It all would be going down tomorrow night, everyone was expected to show up. Well, those who have phased. Which means, this would be the first time I would be permitted in a pack meeting. I was extremely nervous.

Alice and I decided to spend some time down at the beach. The weather wasn't too bad, although I wasn't sure Alice agreed. She was bundled up, wearing her favorite jacket. It was the first gift I've ever given her, she seemed to treasure it above all other coats. It looked a little worn out, some loose stitches and a few rips in the seams. It wasn't at all the kind of clothes she would deem trendy, or fashionable. So, it made me feel good that she valued our friendship over her particular taste.

"Aren't you freezing?" Alice asked, leaning back in her seat.

"To be honest, ever since I've phased, my body temperature runs a bit on the warm side. I'm never cold anymore." I admitted sheepishly.

It was a tender topic, me becoming part of Sam's inner circle. I knew it was something Alice was really looking forward to. She has always wanted to become a wolf, more than anyone I've ever known. Even more than me. I was the one always dreading when this day would come. Turns out, I had nothing to worry about. I feel a deep bond to the new family I've become a part of.

"Must be nice," She muttered quietly, her eyes casting out towards the waves, crashing against the shores. The look on her face suggested that she was lost in her thoughts. I wished that I could get a peek inside of her head. It's been a hard few days for her. She wouldn't give me the details, but she hasn't been getting along very well with her parents.

"It's going to happen Alice, it's only a matter of time, more and more people are phasing in the area. With those vampires hanging around so close, it's bound to happen to you."

She didn't respond, it looked like my words didn't even reach her. She continued to stare out aimlessly in the distance. I was at a loss for words. Nothing I said could really make my friend feel any better.

It was quiet for a while, until I heard footsteps, fast approaching. I turned my head quickly, ready to act, but to my surprise, it was only Jared and Paul. They jogged over to us, their chests exposed, showing off their rippling muscles. I tried not to roll my eyes. To combat the heat, they usually tried wearing as little clothing as legally possible. It was just something I've become used to.

Alice on the other hand, wasn't. Her face went completely red as her eyes darted away from them.

"Bella, good to see you, I know it's last minute, but Sam wants all of us to stop by his place. He wanted to have a little meeting with just our pack, before the big meeting tomorrow." Jared greeted me with a kind smile.

Paul stood next to him, appearing impatient as usual.

"Ugh, does it have to be right now, I'm kind of in the middle of something."

"It's the alpha's orders. You have no right to refuse them." Paul snapped, a deep frown on his face. He folded his arms across his chest. When he did that, he just looked like a sulking child. I wasn't threatened by him. He didn't scare me. No matter how tough he acted, I could see sadness behind his angry eyes.

Alice's lip quivered, the blush on her cheeks had now spread to her ears. She would never admit it, but she had a soft spot for Paul. I didn't see the appeal.

"Yeah, I know that. I'm asking if I could have a few more minutes here. Alice and I just got here. I've barely been able to spend any time with her." I tried to keep my voice even. Any sign of aggression I give, Paul would give back. It would escalate to a fight. And I didn't want Alice getting in the middle of that.

Jared and Paul now glanced towards Alice, as if realizing for the first time, that she was even here. Jared shrank back away from her slightly, his nose scrunching slightly. He turned his entire body away. Paul glared at her for a minute.

"No, get off your ass and let's get going. Sam is going to be pissed if we don't bring you along. So let's just go already." He talked to me so coldly. This was just another thing I had to get used to. The different personalities of the pack was a bit much to handle at times.

I turned to Alice, feeling guilty. "I'm so sorry,"

She shrugged her shoulders in response. "It's no big deal, go do your wolf business and come back here when you're done. I'll still be here."

"Thanks, I'll try to get back as soon as possible." I gave her a comforting shoulder squeeze, before picking myself up. She waved glumly as the three of us jogged away. My heart aches a little. I knew this was going to hurt her. It was like rubbing salt in a wound. All she wanted was to be a part of the group. And here I was, basically living her dream. There has to be a way that I can make it up to her.

As we jogged, I felt Jared close behind me. Paul had easily pulled ahead of us. Probably just to blow up his ego. Right. You're faster than us. Good for you.

"You know Bella, your friend is pretty odd," Jared commented, a small frown on his face.

"What do you mean? There is nothing wrong with her." I glared at him. I could feel my blood start to boil hotter. I took some big breaths to settle myself down. I was just beginning to learn control. I didn't want to be like Paul. A hot-head. That can barely stop himself from phasing over trivial things.

"I mean… well, doesn't she smell kind of funny to you?"

"No, don't be weird." I grumbled quietly.

It was true. It wasn't something that I had picked up on, until recently. Alice did smell a little different than everyone else. It was something sweet. Very sweet. Almost to the point you would gag. But I thought nothing of it. Probably just a new soap or perfume she was wearing.

"She smells like a damn leech. And you know it." Paul said, turning to look back at us. His icy stare went right through me.

"No she doesn't. That's not even possible. She was born and raised, right here in La Push. She will become part of this pack some day. Show a little respect." I growled at him.

The two of them exchanged looks with each other, but dropped the conversation. I sensed there was something they wanted to say. Well, I didn't care to hear it. Alice was Alice. They needed to keep their nose out of her business. It was impossible for her to be a vampire. She didn't drink blood. She walked around during the day. Yes, she looked different, but that didn't make her the enemy. Why wouldn't these people stop belittling her?

Once we reached Sam's house, I didn't pause, I marched up the stairs to his porch and plopped down on the floor. If they wanted me to be involved with this meeting, they could bring it outside. I wasn't in the mood today. All I've been doing was pack related stuff. It was getting annoying. I didn't think my life would change so drastically once I became a wolf.

Leah raised a brow, standing at the grill as I let out an annoyed huff.

"Something on your mind?" She asked, turning her attention back to what she was doing. It looked like she was making burgers. It was a common custom around here. When the pack got together, we ate. A lot. I've never been much of an eater, but I've found that I'm almost always starving. Even now, my stomach was growling at the heavenly smells coming from the grill.

"I'm just sick of being here. I feel like I'm here more than my own home."

Jared sat down on the stairs, watching the two of us quietly. I couldn't read his expression. Paul lingered under the tree in the front yard, using one of the lower limbs to do a few pull-ups.

Was this jerk always trying to show off? Insufferable prick.

"I guess it does feel that way sometimes," Leah commented as she flipped a few of the burgers. "But that's just what it means to be in the pack. Gotta take the good and the bad."

I didn't know Leah that well, but we were getting to know each other. She was usually pretty quiet. But pleasant enough. She is dating Sam at the moment. They seem happy. Although, they didn't share an imprint. For their sake, I hope they don't find their mates. It would be a shame to see the kind of sorrow it would bring them both. But perhaps I was a little biased at the moment.

Recently I found out the true reason that my parents decided to divorce. My father found his imprint. He tried like hell to resist her. When my mom found out about it, things only got worse. I'm sure they may still love each other to some degree. Love doesn't just evaporate, even when imprints get wasn't someone that usually spoke about his emotions. And I don't know how we really got on the topic, but he came out and admitted everything to me. I didn't know how I felt. I wanted to be angry with him. But how could I? He doesn't get to choose who he imprints on. I've still never met this other woman. I'm not sure that I want to. He wasn't willing to talk any further about it. So I just left that conversation alone.

Sam decided to make an appearance. He went straight over to Leah, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on her shoulder. "Smells delicious, will it be ready soon?"

Leah's face lit up, she smiled widely. It was probably the only time I ever saw her happy. Only when Sam was around.

"Just a few more minutes." She chuckled, running a single hand through her short black hair. She really was beautiful. The kind of beauty that made her a lot of enemies with other girls our age. She probably could have any man she wanted on the reservation. But she chose Sam. They were a perfect couple.

"Are the others on their way as well?" Jared asked, turning his eyes to Sam.

"Everyone, except for Mike of course. I'll fill him in later."

The thought of Mike sent a cold chill down my spine. My teeth shut tightly together. If I saw that sick bastard, I'd kill him myself. I am much stronger now. Edward has been training me, every chance he had. If Mike was to try anything again. I would put up one hell of a fight. He shouldn't even be allowed to be in this pack. It infuriated me.

That was another piece of information that I learned lately. The reason that Mike wasn't punished more severely, was because he phased and became part of Sam's pack shortly after the incident at the party. Sam took responsibility for him. Mike used the excuse that his hormones had gone wild, he lost control over any rational thought. He operated on pure animal instincts. It was a common thing with men, who were about to phase. That's what the elders said at least. But no one else believed his claims. The girls on the reservation labeled him dangerous. The men hated him. The only one left was Sam. He wouldn't turn his back on him.

It was bullshit. I was supposed to trust him now? That wasn't going to happen.

No one seemed to notice my discomfort as they continued to talk.

"I have to admit, I can't believe how big this pack has grown in the past few weeks. I remember when it was just you and me." Jared grinned, looking at Sam. The devotion was clear on his face.

Sam nodded, his smile faltering. "It's not exactly something to celebrate. This isn't an easy life. I pity all of those that are forced to walk this path."

Paul snorted as he bounded over to him. Sweat dripped from his hair and down his muscular shoulders. "This is a gift, those losers should be honored. Now there is a true purpose to their lives. Something to fight for. Someone to always have their back."

Pretty words. But I wasn't sure if many of the new wolves shared those feelings. There were three boys that joined us. All around my age. In fact, I've seen these boys my whole life. We grew up together, but never interacted. I didn't even know their names until a few days ago. Erik, Dylan and Brady. They all had pretty different personalities. None that I really cared to pay any attention to.

However, the newest to join us was a girl. I remembered her from the party, she had stood in the group of girls that were drooling over Edward. Angela. She was timid and dainty. Even her wolf was small and gentle. A light ashy fur. I wasn't so sure she was thrilled about joining the pack. She didn't strike me as the kind of girl that enjoyed violence, or power. She reminded me of Alice, but just a little. I wasn't sure if we would become friends. Since she joined she hasn't spoken a word. To anyone.

I didn't blame her, hanging around all these men can be intimidating at times. I've just gotten used to it by now. It was like being surrounded by annoying brothers. Something I had little experience with.

"Why don't you two gather some firewood? We could start a little bonfire." Sam suggested, looking at Jared and Paul.

Neither one of them argued. They just silently got up and left. Sam's words were law. Even if he wasn't giving a direct order, they still listened to his every whim. At times, the thought crossed my mind. What would stop him from abusing his power? If he wanted, he could make any one of us do something we don't want to do. It was scary.

Anxiety crawled around in my chest as Sam's eyes landed on me. His brows pulled together. "Is something wrong Bella, you look tense?"

I swallowed, lowering my gaze. "I'm fine, just hungry," It wasn't a lie. But it wasn't what was bothering me. Thankfully he seemed to take me at my word. His expression softened.

"If you're worried about the meeting tomorrow, don't be. It's not that big of a deal. Just relax and stay quiet. I'm sure no one will ask you any questions." He commented, taking a seat at the tiny table at the end of the porch.

Great. But that's not what I was concerned about. I just didn't want to do the wrong thing. Make a fool out of myself. Edward would be there. I didn't want to make him look bad.

"Good, that makes me feel much better,"

"I know that you're struggling a bit, getting used to the pack. But I'm sure you will start feeling right at home soon. If Paul is getting on your nerves, just let me know. I'll straighten it out." Sam offered, still searching for the source of my discomfort.

"I'm fine, things are starting to get easier… it's just…"

"What?" He watched me, with a very serious expression.

I sighed heavily. "I want to spend more time with my friends, it feels like every time I turn around, I'm getting called to you for something. I know that I have no right to refuse your commands. But I'm not a fan of feeling like I have a dog collar around my neck."

Sam nodded, remaining quiet for a while. His eyes scanned over my face. Deliberating. "I'm sorry if I made you feel that way."

I was a little surprised to hear an apology. It wasn't something I heard from Sam often.

"I don't need an apology," I muttered, looking away from him.

"Regardless, I truly am. If there is somewhere you would rather be right now, you have my permission to leave. If you would like." He spoke calmly.

I might have appreciated his remark, if he wouldn't have said, 'he allowed'. It only confirmed the feeling. I did indeed have a dog collar around my neck and Sam had the leash. This only added to my anger. But I held myself together. My arms trembled slightly, until I forced them still.

"Well you asked me to be here for a meeting, it must have been something important. I'd like to hear what it is. I'm part of the pack, if I like it or not."

Leah glanced at me for a moment, pity in her eyes as she turned the flames of the grill off. She transferred the burgers to a plate, before walking into the house. I heard the refrigerator door open with a quiet creak.

"I can give you a short version. Just the details that you need to know, before attending the meeting tomorrow."

"Alright then," I waved my hand for him to continue.

"The blood moon pack isn't a big fan of ours. It's not a big secret, however they have warmed up considerably, because of you and their alpha being they absolutely despise the eclipse pack of Port Angeles. It's not going to be easy signing a treaty with them. War could begin at any minute between those two packs." Sam said with a frown.

This was news to me. Edward never really mentioned the other pack. It wasn't really high on our list of topics. We talked about anything and everything. But our conversations never lingered on any uncomfortable topics. When I was with him, I could just feel normal again. Like an average high school girl.

"Okay, so how will this affect us moving forward?"

"We will really need to use tact and show respect to the eclipse pack, they are all quite… hyper-emotional. They are all pretty ill-tempered. But strangely enough, they don't really mind the bloodsuckers… in fact, I believe that one of them may have an intimate relationship with one." Repulsion crossed Sam's face.

I didn't see what the big deal was. Sure, I didn't understand vampires too well. Charlie calls them monsters. Dangerous, evil creatures. They torment and kill innocent people. But could they all be like that? Surely there were a few that weren't as vile as we all think. I didn't know why, but I hoped that was the case.

"About these vampires that have moved into our area. What are they like? Have you seen one yet?"

Sam shook his head, his shoulders tense. "No, but Edward has, he mentioned that they appeared pretty tame. Laid back and well mannered. I don't think they will pose an issue to make a treaty with, it's really just Alpha Jacob and his pack that I'm concerned about."

Jacob huh.

Something heavy pressed down on my chest.

"So, that's the alpha's name for the eclipse pack." I muttered, feeling a little lost in my thoughts. His name was nice. Comforting. I couldn't put my finger on it, but it sounded familiar.

"Yeah, actually I asked him to stop over for burgers tonight. I'd like to make tomorrow's events a little smoother. Best to start out on good terms, before the arguing starts." Sam chuckled with a wink.

Well now I was a little tempted to stay for a while, just to get a peek of the guy. But I didn't want Alice to think that I was ditching her. She needed me right now.

"Is that all there is to say? I mean, can I be dismissed. I really should get back to Alice."

Sam narrowed his eyes slightly, analyzing my expression. "You are really close with that pale face, aren't you?"

"Don't call her names, she is a resident of La Push, does that mean anything to you? You said our job was to protect our people, isn't she one of our people?" I glared at him, squeezing my hands into fists at my sides.

Sam glared back at me slightly, but leaned back in his chair, taking one simple breath. He calmed himself down instantly. Just in time for Leah to bring out some hamburger buns, condiments and plates. She scattered them across the table, careful not to get in the way of our discussion.

"Actually, she isn't," Sam said evenly.

"What?" I snapped.

"Alice isn't actually a citizen of La Push, she was born somewhere else. Her parents adopted her when she was just a newborn. Haven't you ever wondered why she is so different?"

That just couldn't be true. Did Alice know about this?

"B-but how was that even allowed? I thought outsiders weren't allowed to live on the reservation?" I said, chewing my bottom lip. I didn't know how to respond to this news. Of course it didn't change how I felt about Alice. She would always be my best friend. If she found out about this, it would break her heart. She really believed that she would become a wolf and join the pack. That possibility seemed more and more unlikely now.

"Her adoptive parents went to the elders with sorrow. They were unable to have a child of their own. So many miscarriages left them in agony. They asked permission to adopt a child outside of the reservation. The father had stumbled upon the infant, in a trash can, around Port Angeles." A sad look came to Sam's face, but it was quickly replaced with a hard look. "I'm not saying your friend is a bad person and there is nothing wrong if you two are close. But you should know, the elders have been talking of having her leave the reservation, once she reaches eighteen."

I blinked back tears in my eyes. "No, that can't happen,"

Sam sighed, a gentle smile pulling at his lips. "I'll do whatever I can, to stop that from happening."

That didn't make me feel any better. Tears slid down my cheeks, to my complete embarrassment. I wiped at them quickly. I wanted to regain some kind of composure in front of Sam. He probably already thought I was weak. And if Paul caught sight of me, I would have to suffer from his teasing.

"I need to go," I mumbled, not looking up. If I looked back into Sam's eyes, I knew that I would only start to cry again.

"As you wish, but keep what I said, a secret. She is never to find out about her adoption. The elders had sworn every in the pack to secrecy. That includes you now."

Even better. I would have to look her in the eye, knowing what I know and still encourage her to keep holding onto her dreams. It was sick. It wasn't fair. But I felt my alpha's command permeate my soul. I wouldn't say a word of it. Even though that's all I wanted to do. She deserved to know the truth. Now, it would be impossible. I couldn't physically go against his direct orders.

"Fine,"

With that, I pulled myself up off the porch and began down the steps. I could feel Sam's eyes at my back as I retreated. My thoughts were all over the place. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't let this change things. I had to find a way to help Alice find out the truth. There must be a way around Sam's command.

I was so deep in thought, I didn't realize that I had run right into something. Something tall and hard. I bounced back, losing my balance. But a strong arm came around me, catching me before I hit the ground. Warmth shot up through my back, I looked up, expecting to see Edward. This was usually how it felt, being in his arms. Instead I was greeted by dark eyes. The way he stared at me was mesmerizing. His hand smoothly shifted my hair that covered my face.

A smirk came to his lips. He was devilishly handsome. And his body was a work of art. Huge muscles, a six pack. I felt the urge to reach out and feel the muscles on his arms, just to confirm if he was real. Or just a figment of my I felt myself hit into him. He didn't move an inch. On the other hand, I felt a little sore after that brief interaction.

He hummed, leaning in to smell me. His body trembled. "I've been waiting to find you,"

I bit my lip, carefully shifting myself out of his grasp. Although the feeling of being out of his arms, left me feeling very empty. "Sorry, I don't know who you are."

"Jacob Black, and what's your name?" His smile was warm and friendly.

"Bella Swan, nice to meet you. You must be the alpha from the eclipse pack. Sam is waiting for you at his place right now." My cheeks flushed. I hadn't expected the other alpha to be so handsome. I probably looked like an idiot.

Jacob raised a brow. "Ahh, and will I have the pleasure of seeing you there as well?"

"Afraid not, I'm meeting back up with a friend. She needs me right now."

There was a short silence that fell between us, before Jacob took a step forward, pulling me in for a hug. His head rested at the top of mine. "I'll come to find you after the stupid meeting." He released me and began walking in the direction of Sam's place.

"Why would you want to find me?" I asked quietly.

He turned just slightly, to look at me. "I imprinted on you, so unfortunately for you, there is nothing on Earth that is going to keep me away from you."

A/N: Thanks to all who took the time to review the last chapter. It means a lot to me. I hope you are all enjoying the story so far!