Everyday since she had agreed to the showing up for the gathering, Jacob called her. She even got slightly annoyed that by Thursday he was timing his calls so well that the phone in the kitchen would ring as soon as she set her bag down on the kitchen table.

Charlie thought it was hysterical and Bella would raise an eyebrow and give a halfhearted laugh before her eyes went dark again.

"He sure seems to like you," Charlie drawled leaning against the frame of the kitchen doorway.

"We're just friends," Grace stated matter of factly drying her hands off with a towel draped over the sink handle, "And anyway, he's just making sure I'm coming to this tribal council gathering tomorrow night." She lifted the receiver quickly and cradled it against her shoulder as she popped open the fridge to start something for dinner, "Hey, Jake."

Charlie put his hands up in mock surrender and backed out of the kitchen to an eye roll from Grace.

School rocketed by on Friday as Grace's nerves intensified. As she was standing in front of the mirror in their bedroom, adjusting her blue denim jacket lined with white fleece, she stared over at Bella, who was sitting up but slumped over a pillow in bed.

"Are you sure you can't come?" Grace almost pleaded. She smoothed the front of her thick, red knitted sweater over her torso and leaned down to lace up the brown mountain boots. She decided to dress warm for the occasion, seeing as the night was definitely chillier than the last one she spent with Jake. She bustled up the wide red turtleneck around her neck and let her hair fall in waves down and around her shoulders.

Bella gave a shrug followed by a defeated nod. "I can't." she croaked out. "Might be coming down with a cold or something."

Grace nodded and let it go. She at least thought she'd ask.

"Okay, how do I look?"

"Council ready." Bella stated.

"Good. Okay." She exhaled and shook out her hands and turned for the door. The longer she waited, the more she'd second guess. And she had a sneaking suspicion that Jake might come looking for her if she flaked.

She finished the look downstairs with a pair of beat up wool winter gloves her father had gotten her. She gave a quick goodbye to Charlie and hurtled out the door toward the truck.

When she pulled up to Jacob's driveway, she sat frozen. Just as she thought, this would be too much. Jacob was one thing, but the whole council would be there, minus her father of course, and the absence suddenly made her heart ache.

She sat with her hands in her lap, ragged breath pulling in and out of her lung as she tried to keep tears springing from her eyes. Suddenly, there was a pounding in her ears and a deep rumbling sound coming up from between her feet again. Grace panicked and pushed open the door and nearly tumbled out from the truck. She grabbed the mirror for support until feeling returned in her feet and her vision cleared a little bit and slammed the door shut.

This was Jacob's cue. He ran around the side of the house in a simple grey t-shirt, a brown cord jacket and dark wash jeans. His hair was pulled all the way up in a loose bun that accentuated his sharp jaw.

Grace was internally screaming at herself to get a grip and stand up straight to shake off whatever this rising panic was in her, but her hand remained clutched to the mirror as the landscape around her steadied.

When he reached her across the lawn, he stopped just a little short to take her in.

"You made it!" That Jacob smile warmed his face. He looked at her hand gripping the mirror, "You okay?"

Grace let go quickly and stepped forward testing her feet. At least if she fell, she'd fall into him.

"Yes, just a little nervous." She gave a weak smile. He nodded in return and led her into the forest and down a worn path. When she crossed the threshold of the forest, her heartbeat quickened. She wasn't sure if it was because of the dusky light casting shadows through the whispering trees or the low howl carrying down by the river.

Though her breathing quickened, she felt no fear. The crushing darkness of the forest seemed to welcome her as it enveloped her. The feeling in her feet returned and she felt her senses heighten. The crisp fall air pushed around the trees decaying leaves causing a shiver to rush through the forest with each blow.

She held her hands out and brushed it across the willowing branches and cold bark. When she exhaled, the sound intensified around her and billowed up around her head. Reflexively, she looked up to the deepening purple, black sky and sucked in a cool, refreshing breath. She felt if she pulled in from her lungs hard enough, the stars might come down and trickle down her throat. When she straightened her head, she saw that Jacob had made his way a little farther down the path from her while she had been stuck in her reverie.

But the forest felt like a hug, and she craved to stay in it's dark, soft embrace a little longer. She stopped and looked, her eyes picked up the glimmer of damp on a wilting fern near the forest floor to the right of her. Then, a movement to her left caused her eyes to dart over and run across the soft warm fur of a common rabbit skittering across a patch of leaves. Her eyes picked up on the finite, rough texture of its fur, dirt and crushed leaves folded between the thick strands. And just as quickly, she heard a loud huff from an animal to her right.

The low howls had ceased and with it the sounds of the forest had gone silent too. Her eyes careened through the darkness, patching together the strange figure less than ten feet from her, tucked behind a thicket of bushes. It was dark, huge, and had glowing yellow eyes. This was certainly a monster that could have been drummed up in her dreams as a kid, but instead of screaming, Grace found herself almost trance-like and stepping toward the figure.

The creature took a step back from her hesitantly as she stretched out her arm and reached for it. She felt drawn toward the creature and her breath hitched in her throat. The creature came into focus, a huge black wolf, and a trickle of fear sparked in her belly. The wolf seemed transfixed as well and stomped its front paw on the wet earth in front of it and let out a low snarl.

Grace hesitated but took one step forward, her foot cracking on a branch. The wolf snapped from its stare and took off. Grace felt the rumbling sound dissipate from her ears and her head cleared. A panicked Jacob was calling her name somewhere off in the now darkened woods. She looked around her quickly, shapes moving in the night around her, and took off toward Jacob's voice. She crashed down the path and carefully climbed her way through a thicket of brush before breaking through to a clearing. Jacob was just on the other side.

"Jake!" Grace's voice was hoarse as she jogged toward him.

"Where have you been? I turn around and you're just gone?!" the fear in Jacob's eyes ebbed a little bit. "We're going to be late. Come on," he took her hand in his and clasped it tight and warm. She let herself be tugged through the short rest of the walk before she could see the glow of the fire flickering through a clearing ahead.

Grace tried to even out her breath and hurried to be walking next to Jake. He gave her head a warm squeeze before they broke through into the clearing and started walking toward the bonfire.

"Guess word got out," Jacob stated somewhat surprised. There was a throng of people milling about the site. Foldaway tables were set up off to the side filled with food, paper plates, and drinks. About 40-50 people were gathered in the clearing, some were huddled close by to the fire, laughing and throwing leaves or loose twigs in to make it pop, others were nearby in tight circles throwing their heads back and laughing as they caught up.

"Jake." Grace whispered softly, hesitancy thick in her voice. She let go of his hand and took a step back. Jake was quick though.

"Come on, you're already here. Look! Seth, Quil, and Embry are just there. Embry's been dying to see you for some reason," Jake rolled his eyes and placed his hand on her lower back and propelled her forward.

A whooping sounded from the bonfire as both Quil and Embry saw Jake. The sound caused everyone else in the clearing to turn towards Grace and Jake. But Jake kept pushing her forward, even as the stares and whispers descended. Grace felt sick. She could see Billy's warm smile beckoning her from across the clearing and with Jake's arm around her and pushing her forward, she tried to just focus on what was ahead of her.

Almost there. And then.

An old, shrunken woman suddenly appeared in Jake and Grace's path. It's as if she materialized. When Grace tried to place her, she realized it was the same elder who had spoke to her father last before they left for Oklahoma. Their way to the bonfire was blocked by this little woman and it would be rude to circumvent her. Jacob seemed glued in place and Grace seemed to float on the spot, unsure of whether to stay or run.

In a small, warm, gravelly voice, the old woman reached her hands up to Grace's face, cupped it in her hands and pulled it down to meet her eye level and said, "Welcome home, little Alo."

Before she let her go, she draped a long woven necklace around her neck. Weighted at the bottom of the long necklace was a worn black stone cut in a circle with the silhouette of a bird etched in the middle and edged with white.

Grace was frozen in place staring into the old woman's eyes. Tears shone clearly but she didn't let them fall. She allowed her face to be cradled and felt the softness of her hands emanate warmth into her face and creep down her throat. The woman held her there for a moment longer and said, "With grace and light, she flies."

The old woman took a step back, nodded at her and walked toward the fire. Grace followed and didn't even stop to take in the quiet faces around her. Everyone had turned to stone and she was water washing through them.

Once she settled by the fire, the chatter had resumed and a smile crested across her face in utter relief.

Jacob took a seat beside her and gave her long, happy look.

"Welcome home," Billy said gently.

"Thanks." Grace replied.

With that there was a rabble rousing cry that came from around the circle in celebration. Grace blushed a little and bumped her shoulder into Jake.

This is working.

After being bombarded by members of the community asking about her wellbeing, after her mother, how she was settling in, and what her plans were for the future as she gathered some food from the foldaway tables, she settled between Quil and Jacob for the meeting to start.

Billy waited until there was a low hush that fell around the circle. Grace felt comforted now by the gathered group surrounding her, insulated even.

"Our legends have been gathered, written, and spoken across generations with different retellings and recollections, but one story remains consistent: the legend of our wolf warriors." He looked around at the crowd of people and his eyes rested on Sam Uley. Grace hadn't seen him make his way into the circle, and a shiver ran down her spine. Sam nodded at Billy almost imperceptibly.

"But a lesser known legend that is just as important to the strength of the wolf warriors is that of the spirit bird. She guides our wolf warriors, acting as a conduit between the spirit and human world. Cousin only to the fierce thunderbird, she is deeply connected to the earth and forest where the thunderbird wields lightning and thunder, water and rain. She is quick and smart and adept at reading the signs set before her where others walk blindly through. She shields and protects our wolf warriors like she did in the great river battle and whenever a cold one threatens our blood. She is fierce and free and buoys us all."

Billy's eyes carried around the rest of the crowd and paused only slightly on Grace. She clutched the dark rock that hung around her neck and weighed its significance. She'd felt strange since being back in Forks. She thought it was the anxiety of confronting her home in light of her father's death, but maybe it was deeper than that. Maybe she was being pulled here for a different reason. She knew the legend of the wolf warriors very well-her father had recounted story after story of her ancestors who were known wolf warriors and how her father admired their strength and pride in their people and their purpose.

Whatever it was that pulled her here, it was the people who would anchor her. At the end of the meeting, as Billy regaled them with more legends, council business, and community projects, she noticed that he turned to Sam, Paul, and Jared. They clustered around him and spoke in low tones.

"What's that about?" Grace nodded toward them, directing her question at Jake and Embry.

"Weird secret council shit. Sam and his disciples at it again," Embry said in a voice that edged with worry.

"Disciples?" Grace raised an eyebrow. She turned to look at Jake who had a burning, agitated look on his face.

"They're like a cult. The elders bend to their every whim and they're basically in charge of what happens around here when it comes to the day to day. Those community projects dad talked about? Their Sam's ideas." Jake seethed.

"They sound like they're meant to make the area safer, no? He's watching out for the younger ones and trying to keep our community from being overrun by outside threats." Grace offered. Some of the community projects Billy had mentioned were specifically targeted at creating a watchdog crew and curfew to ensure that kids in La Push weren't being pulled by drug dealers off the rez or getting them into trouble.

"It's not. He just wants to be in control and he uses intimidation to get what he wants. Embry, Quil, and I were just walking around one day and they chased us off the beach for no reason. They're bullies." Jake concluded darkly.

Grace watched Sam with a discerning eye, trying to understand what Jacob had said. Sam's eyes carried over away from Billy and laid on Grace. They stared at each other for a long time, a hard, intense stare that Grace refused to waver from. Was this what Jake had been talking about? Was Sam trying to get her to yield? Grace straightened in her sitting position and tilted her head to the side a little, letting her eyes convey calm determination. She folded her hands in front of her and held Sam's stare. Jacob and Embry noticed and began to squirm uncomfortably. Even when Jacob nudged Grace and said "Let's go, he's creeping me out." She never broke his gaze as she affirmed and stood up.

During their silent communication, two things became clear to Grace: she was meant to be here and Sam knew why.

Jacob casually grabbed Grace's hand, almost as a reflex now and nodded to Quil and Embry who brought up the rear, blocking Sam's view of Grace. They headed back toward the treeline and skirted the edge of it back toward Jacob's house instead of cutting through the dark woods this time.

A light rain began to fall and Grace clutched the stone of her necklace.