Wolves of the Pacific

by greenpeach20

In 1902, Renesmee Cullen grew tired of the tedious life of moving around with her family and decided to make the journey west as a mail order bride. Yet a chance encounter with a reddish brown wolf would change her life forever.

154. Chapter 154

Chapter 154

During the night, Alice had a vision that Miguel was questioning himself and would be sending someone to scout the area to check if the Cullens and the Pack had really left. They had two days before said scout would be there and he'd be snooping around come nighttime. First thing in the morning, Edward relayed this to Jacob who then told Kevin, Kyle and Nathan to join him when they spoke with Barka. Oscar was notified they would need both Oliver and Owen present too if only for the sake of ensuring Barka 'behaved himself' as Jacob worded it. They all waited near Wisteria's house where they would convene while Oliver went to get Owen. Meanwhile, he and Nesia were still in bed together snuggled up to one another. Sadly, the heat woke Nesia as much as she didn't want it to and she heard Oliver's voice.

"Owen!" Oliver called from outside and she heard him step into the home, "We need to go to father now. There's been a new development." Oliver walked into the bedroom startling Nesia while she made sure she remained under the covers. Oliver didn't seem surprised. He just looked at his little brother and approached so he could gently nudge his foot. "Owen, you need to wake up," Oliver said and Owen groaned irritably. He opened his eyes to look at Nesia and turned to see Oliver.

"What's going on?"

"There's a problem. Apparently the Cold One that's leading that army is second guessing himself and he's sending a scout."

"How do you know that?"

"We have a future seer in the coven," Nesia explained.

"Of course you do," Owen groaned and sat up while rubbing his eyes. Nesia sat up but held the blankets to her chest so she was covered. "So what are we going to do?"

"That's what we need to discuss with father," Oliver said. Owen grumbled and rubbed his face.

"Fine. I'll be right there. And don't tell him about…well, this," Owen said gesturing between him and Nesia.

"I won't say a thing," Oliver said. "I'll wait for you outside." Owen nodded his head while Oliver walked out and Owen got out from under the covers to get dressed.

"Ahiga?" Nesia said.

"I'm sorry," Ahiga said, "I don't want dad knowing about us. At least not now. He's been so damned erratic that I don't trust how he'd react. May be best to leave him in the dark about it entirely."

"Okay," Nesia nodded. "Do you want me to wait for you here?"

"No, it's alright. I'd suggest going to Owota's and get yourself some breakfast."

"Alright," Nesia said. Once dressed, Ahiga came over to kneel on the blankets and gave her a tender kiss that she reciprocated.

"I'll see you later, okay?"

Nesia smiled, "I'll see you later."

Ahiga smiled at her and gave her one more kiss that he deepened briefly but pulled away with an irritable groan in his throat, annoyed he couldn't remain home. He met Oliver outside and the two of them walked to Wisteria's house. Then the group went to Barka's home and Oscar searched for Barka and eventually brought the man downstairs to meet everyone.

"What's the problem?" Barka asked, getting right to the point.

"Our future seer has informed us the leader of the Cold army is having second thoughts and is sending a scout here to check if we're actually gone," Jacob answered. "We need to agree on how best to address this."

"Stay inside, let the cold one peruse the area and go back to say you aren't here," Barka answered condescendingly.

"I'm afraid that's not possible. Cold ones have an excellent sense of smell and, to quote my wife's father, my pack 'stinks of wet dog'. That's to say nothing about my wife's family and their distinctly sweet scent. That scout will know we're still here and report back."

"So my tribe is doomed because you've made the area smell?" Barka answered back.

"Father, let's stick to the issue at hand: we need to decide what to do about this scout when he gets here," Oscar said. "I say we catch him and kill him."

"That'll buy us time, but not very much," Jacob said. "Is there a way Yvonne can have a giant lurking in the sand and grab the cold one once he gets here? We need to catch him before he gets close enough to notice the scent."

"You guys have only been here a few days," Owen said. "Are we sure the cold one wouldn't just assume it's a lingering smell from when you'd been here?"

"Unlikely," Kevin said. "The smell would dissipate if we left. The cold one will very likely be able to tell the difference."

"So much for my idea then," Owen said.

"Fetch the priestess," Barka said as he waived his hand dismissively, but he did not direct any one person in particular. "Now if it's not too much trouble," Barka said, finally directing his attention to Owen. Having his assignment, Owen walked out of the house to go get Yvonne and Owota. Once he was outside and out of Barka's site, he flipped off the house directing it in Barka's general direction if only for the sake of making himself feel better before walking to Owota's home. When he got there, Myta was making breakfast for everyone with Eun Mi assisting her.

"Where's Owota?" Owen asked JJ when he stepped into the house.

"He's in his office," JJ said, pointing towards the room where he kept all the medicine. Owen walked over to inform Owota that Barka was asking for him and Yvonne. Owota stopped what he was doing and went to Yvonne's room where Emma Leigh was braiding Yvonne's hair. They'd started roughly an hour ago and Emma Leigh was having the time of her life.

"Are you almost done with her hair?" Owota asked Emma Leigh.

"Almost," Emma Leigh said. She'd divided the hair into three sections – a braid to the left, to the right and in the center – and converged both braids at the base of her neck into one braid. At the moment, she was wrapping the braid up into a bun using bobby pins to secure the braids in place. The snake skin was lopped in throughout the braids as was her style.

"Try to finish as fast as you can. We need to go to Barka," Owota said. Emma Leigh sped up as much as she could and made sure the braid was secured. It was an enormous bun, but it rested at the nape of her neck so it was out of her way.

"Thank you for doing my hair, Emma Leigh," Yvonne said once she was done.

"Thank you for letting me do your hair," Emma Leigh smiled and patted her back. Yvonne stood and went to the doorway of her room so Owota could take her hand and guide her. Owen, Yvonne and Owota walked to Barka's home together.

"Owen said you wished to speak with us?" Owota said once they arrived.

"Yes, I did," Barka said. "I'm being told that the cold one in charge of that army has changed his mind about the previously advised time frame and is sending a scout to check if the Quileutes and their companions have actually left. Evidently they can't just hide because they smell too bad. Apparently this also means this thing would notice the smell before entering the village. So it was suggested that Yvonne have a border around the tribe in which the scout can be caught by a giant with the creature in hiding. Is that possible?"

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean by 'in hiding'," Owota said.

"I mean can she make these things materialize quickly enough to catch a cold one once it's been found? Would she know if a cold one is approaching from a greater distance and would she be able to bring the creature back in time to catch the cold one?"

"Is such a thing possible?" Owota asked Yvonne, but she didn't look confident.

"I don't know," she said.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I mean I don't know," Yvonne repeated more firmly. "I don't know if I can exert that much control over the creatures. Giants are extremely dangerous and unpredictable. Forcing them to stay still the way I'd been doing takes all the energy I've got. I don't know if I could control them to that extent. I would need to test it."

"Let's do that then," Barka ordered and stood.

He walked out of the house without another word and everyone followed behind him. Curious, the pack was outside having followed out of curiosity and watched as Jacob and his sons as well as Barka and his sons stepped outside with Owota and Yvonne following. They went to the Oasis and Oscar ordered everyone to stay clear of the area. Any citizen nearby was ordered to step back including the pack. Yvonne was guided to the Oasis and directed towards the village center that had been cleared. Salem had stayed clear of the area as ordered but made a point to be as close to Yvonne as he could be.

"What's going on?" Cidelle asked Bayaq.

"I'm not sure," Bayaq answered.

Back at the Oasis, Owota sat beside Yvonne and Barka was hovering nearby. "How about we start by determining how quickly the creature can be materialized," Owota suggested and Yvonne nodded.

Yvonne patted the ground trying to listen to the sound it made. Salem wasn't sure what she was listening for, but she seemed to hear what she'd needed to and closed her eyes. Once she did, there was an eerie, haunting sound that filled the air. It sounded like a deep, tormented voice that moaned grotesquely. Just as they heard the sound, there was a gust of dust that shot up from the ground as that horrible noise became louder and they could see a creature within the dust that became more visible as it settled. It was the same creature they'd all seen when they arrived at the tribe: a pale red headed beast 7 feet tall. At the moment, it was seated on the ground appearing like it was sedated.

"Will that be fast enough?" Owota directed the question to Jacob.

"I don't think so," Jacob answered, disappointed. "A cold one will hear that thing making noise and might get away before she can bring the creature back. Especially if that thing isn't alone." Now that he'd said it out loud, Jacob looked at Edward. "Do you know if he's sending more than one scout?"

"I certainly would," Kevin said. "If we catch that first scout, the others would be able to go back and tell Miguel. We would need to think of a way to catch everyone if that were the case."

"So far, it's only 1 that is definitely being sent, but that's likely to change," Edward said. "If it does, Alice will know."

"So even if Yvonne could summon the giant faster, it wouldn't matter," Barka muttered irritably.

"We just need to go over our options," Kevin said. "Maybe Embry could be in the air. Once he spots them, Edward and Kyle will know and we can take them by surprise."

"It might be too risky," Kyle said. "If Embry can see them, then the Cold Ones can see him and they wouldn't stay. It might not necessarily mean we've been uncovered but it would make them retreat and they'd try again. It would likely just keep happening until they gave up and came to attack regardless."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Barka asked.

"We may have to just catch as many as we can, interrogate who we can get and then come up with a defense strategy from there," Nathan said.

"That won't do us any good if we don't have time to plan," Barka said. He looked at Yvonne again. "Bring the creature faster."

"I did so as quickly as I could, Chief Barka," Yvonne said.

"Entreat the spirits of the oasis and make them appear faster. Or are the spirits as limited in their power as you are?" Barka asked flippantly.

"Barka, that's enough! She already told you she brought them back as quickly as she could. If the giants are not an option then we need to think of something else!" Owota yelled at Barka, but then he felt a chill go down his spine that he couldn't explain. He turned to look at his daughter and fell back. Her eyes were wide open and laser focused right on Barka. She had a chilling, toothy smile on her face and when he looked at her feet, he could see little, watery hands holding onto her. Everyone that saw her took a step back expect Salem.

"Yvonne?" Salem said her name causing her to look in his direction. But it wasn't Yvonne staring back at him. He didn't know what it was except that it was something he could only describe as evil. He felt the tooth poking his chest but he wasn't paying attention.

She then looked at Barka again only to snap her fingers and cause the giant to disappear. Barka did not take his eyes off her, feeling a fear that he never felt before. Nothing scared the man except whatever possessed Yvonne now. She looked in the direction where the giant had been before, snapped her fingers again and in an instant the giant was back; much faster and with no preemptive groaning noise. However, this time the giant was not sedated. Instead, it was fully conscious and was already charging towards the crowd of people who started screaming and trying to run away. The pack took charge and ran after the creature while Salem went to Yvonne and tried shaking her.

"Yvonne!" Salem yelled her name but she wouldn't look at him and that chilling smile remained on her face.

Emma Leigh was the first to make it to the giant and she hopped onto its back, grabbed its head and screamed into its ear. The giant was brought to its knees yelling horribly in pain until blood came from its ears, nose and eyes. She didn't stop until the creature's skull cracked and it fell to the ground. She got off and stepped away from the creature just as Gabriel took a hold of her and put her behind him as they all backed away. The creature stayed down but they didn't take their eyes away until it turned to dust and blew away. They all turned to look in Yvonne's direction, but she was looking at Barka waiting for him to look at her again. When he finally did, Yvonne laughed, but it wasn't her laugh. It was this bizarre, squeaking sound that echoed and it made Barka take a step back. And like that, whatever had controlled Yvonne was gone. Her eyes returned to normal, the horrifying smile had faded and Yvonne fell back as she lost consciousness, but Salem caught her before she could fall into the water.

"Yvonne?!" Owota said and crawled over to take Yvonne in his arms. Myta was running towards them while Owota checked her vitals and sighed heavily with relief when he was assured she was alive. No one spoke for a while. They were too shell shocked by what they'd just witnessed.

Jacob was the one to eventually speak, "My sons and I will take care of this."

With that final jab to Barka's ego, Jacob requested Edward and Alice to meet him and his sons at Owota's house so they could come up with a course of action. Salem stayed with Owota and Myta to make sure Yvonne was alright. When she didn't wake back up, Owota carried Yvonne home with Salem and Myta following after. By the time they returned, Jacob, his sons, Barka's sons, Alice and Edward were already deep in discussion.

"I'll volunteer to be on the Pedestal as lookout," Nathan said after they'd spoken of their options. "Kyle and Grandpa can keep their minds open for what I see; Grandpa and the others can reprimand any accompanying vampires while Kyle can tell dad when to attack the assigned scout."

"Are we agreed?" Jacob directed the question to Oscar, Oliver and Owen.

"Agreed," Oscar said. "My brothers and I will stay on the Pedestal with Nathan and if we need to chase after a vampire, we'll be able to get them."

"Good," Jacob said. "How much time did you say we have?"

"2 days," Alice said. "Whether it'll be one or more is still being determined. Unless they decide not to send the scout tomorrow night, I'll know by tomorrow at latest."

"Okay," Jacob said. "Get some rest during the day tomorrow so we'll be ready."

Given the new developments, the pack and flock were told to take the day to themselves to relax. Nesia and Owen went back to his home and took advantage of the time to practice reading, Bayaq spent his day with Cidelle, Taraq sat beside Uilette while she was working on some clothes, Oscar returned to Wisteria's home where he was staying and enjoyed time with Travis, Blu Jae was with Desarae all day teaching her to play the guitar and Salem stayed at Owota's home looking after Yvonne.

"Is that her headache medicine?" Salem asked Owota when he came to Yvonne's room with a cup containing something that smelled familiar.

"This is for headaches, yes," Owota said, giving Salem a strange look. "I suppose she's told you she's prone to headaches?"

"Yes, she's told me," Salem said. "Should we just give it to her now?"

"No, she needs to be awake. If we give it to her now, she might choke on this," Owota said and Salem nodded. Owota kept staring at Salem while he was looking at Yvonne, concern clear on his face. "Thank you for catching her before she could fall in the water."

"Of course," Salem answered. "Has this ever happened before?"

"No," Owota said. "At most, the spirits grab a hold of her from the water, but that's it. I've never seen them possess her like that." Salem was quiet as he took her hand in his all while Owota continued watching Salem closely.

"Is there really nothing that can be done?" Salem asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean is there really no way for her to not have to do this anymore and no longer be the Priestess of the Oasis?"

"The spirits spared her because I begged for the spirits to do so. For her to no longer wish to serve them would mean the spirits would take back the life they spared," Owota said. "Today was a bizarre occurrence."

"Because Barka questioned them you mean?"

"Certainly," Owota said. He stared at Salem for a while before continuing. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Why does my daughter being able to leave concern you?" Owota asked. The man's tone became firmer and he stared Salem down critically. Salem took a calming breath before he answered.

"Since coming here, Yvonne and I have had opportunities to talk and get to know one another. I love her and wish to marry her. Assuming I have your blessing," Salem said.

"How can you say you love her? You barely know my daughter," Owota said.

"I imprinted on her," Salem said.

"And what does that mean?"

"It means the wolf has found its mate. Members of my pack, when they find their match I guess you could say, are bound to that person in an instant. I am what she needs me to be and I love her," Salem said.

"And how do I know you're being sincere? For that matter, what makes you think she feels the same way for you? I won't give my blessing just on your word alone and I certainly won't let you try taking her away."

"I'm willing to move here if it's necessary," Salem said.

"That's your business; doesn't mean you have my blessing," Owota said.

"What can I do to earn it?" Salem pleaded, however Owota was clearly unmoved.

"I watched my daughter become possessed to nearly kill our people. I'll not discuss this with you, least of all now." Owota said. "You may leave us."

"Please, Owota –"

"I said you can leave," Owota repeated and this time Salem complied and left Yvonne's room. However, he stayed near the doorway wanting to be close just in case.

Yvonne eventually woke up with a migraine that rendered her virtually immobile and with intense nausea. She couldn't stomach swallowing the mixture to alleviate her headache. She needed water added and had to hold her nose closed to get it down and when she did, she nearly vomited but managed to keep it down. Owota stayed at her side trying to sooth her and encourage her to go back to sleep since her vitals were otherwise normal. She did eventually get back to sleep and when she did, Owota finally left her side so she wouldn't be disturbed. Come evening, the pack was sound asleep except Salem. He kept checking on Yvonne albeit from the frame of her door hoping she was okay. He'd hear her stir or moan and look at her, but she was still asleep. Late in the night approaching morning, Salem overheard her move and when he looked in her room she was sitting up. Salem slowly entered the room and she noticed immediately.

"Who's there?" Yvonne asked, listening closely.

"It's me," Salem answered. "I'm sorry to come into your room; after what happened I just want to make sure you're alright."

"I'm better," Yvonne said. "My head still hurts but not as badly."

"Do you want more medicine?" Yvonne nodded for an answer and reached out to Salem to guide her through the house to Owota's office area so she could make the medicine. Salem stayed quiet while she made the medicine and drank it down then helped her back to her room.

"What happened today?"

"You don't remember?"

"No," Yvonne said. "I remember father began arguing with Chief Barka but I can't remember anything after that."

"I guess the spirits took over your body and woke a giant that tried to attack everyone. We brought it down and the spirits were gone after that," Salem said. "No one was hurt, thankfully, but after the spirits left, you had lost consciousness and stayed that way until earlier when you woke with that migraine."

"I see," Yvonne said.

"Owota said this had never happened before. Is that true?"

"Not like this," Yvonne said. "The spirits possess me frequently but I am usually still conscious when they do." Salem nodded absently and held Yvonne's hand rubbing her wrist gently.

"That scared the shit out of me," Salem said. "I didn't know what was happening and said your name but when you looked at me, it wasn't you looking back." Yvonne turned her head where she heard his voice and reached her hands up slowly until she had found Salem's body and moved up until she was touching his face. She trailed her hands over his face trying to get an understanding of his image.

"I have an imagine in my mind," Yvonne said. "It's so blurry but I felt such a pull to it." She kept touching his face a moment longer. "Was it you?"

"I hope so," Salem answered. He took a hold of her face in his hands and guided her to face him. Her eyes weren't focused on him. "Can you look up? Follow my voice?" Salem asked. Yvonne moved her eyes but looked like she was staring at his lips. She rubbed her thumbs on his face until she found where his eyes were and lifted her eyes a little more. She wasn't quite looking at him, so Salem dipped his head down a little until he was looking into her eyes. "Would you smile for me?" Salem asked her. She did smile as he asked and while he knew she couldn't see him, it felt like she really was looking at him. "You're so beautiful," Salem said in a hushed voice.

"Do you really think so?" Yvonne asked.

"I do," Salem answered with a smile. He took a moment to look over his shoulder to make sure everyone was still asleep then looked at Yvonne again. "Would you join me for a walk outside?"

"At this hour?" Yvonne asked.

"Yeah; we can enjoy some peace and quiet while we talk. And we won't have to worry about waking anyone."

Yvonne thought about it briefly then smiled, "Alright."

With a smile, Salem took both Yvonne's hands in his so he could her to her feet and guided her through the house to the front door. Once they were outside, Salem put Yvonne back on her feet and held her hand to guide her through the village for their walk. When they'd been outside for a few minutes, she began to shiver a little.

"It's chilly tonight," Yvonne said and rubbed her free hand over her arm to warm up. Salem released her hand so he could remove his Navy tank top and got it over Yvonne's head to cover her arms.

"I know it's not much, but does it help?"

"It helps," Yvonne smiled.

Now that she was just a little warmer, Salem wrapped his arm around her and they continued to walk through the village. It was the middle of the night and the only sounds were what nature produced. The night air was so dry and the chilled air was a welcomed relief for Salem. The bright moon, the peace and quiet, the dry cool air: it made everything very romantic.

"Have you ever walked around the village at night?" Salem asked.

"No," Yvonne answered. "It's difficult enough navigating around during the day with father guiding me."

"Is this a nice change of pace?" Salem asked.

"It is," Yvonne smiled. "What shape is the moon tonight?"

Salem looked up at the moon and said, "I think its a quarter moon."

"That's something I miss," Yvonne said. "When I was younger I used to stare at the moon from my window whenever it was full. Once, father allowed me to stay up late so we could stare at formations in the stars." Salem gently squeezed her shoulder comfortingly without saying anything. "I'm sorry I can't be of more assistance against those scouts."

"There's nothing to apologize for," Salem said. "Barka shouldn't have put you on the spot the way he did."

"He relies on me and the power the spirits grant me as does everyone in the village. I let everyone down," Yvonne said.

"Don't say that," Salem insisted. "It's more important that you're alright. I would rather you be alright than you summon a giant in record time. Frankly, Barka should be more concerned with your wellbeing like the rest of us are."

"Thank you for saying," Yvonne said.

"Someone should," Salem said. "It shouldn't have to be said that your health and wellbeing are more important; should be obvious. It's about time Barka learned that."

"Chief Barka is very strong willed," Yvonne said.

"He's a bastard is what he is," Salem said and Yvonne smiled gently. "You're kinder to that man than he deserves. I don't know how you do it."

"He's still my chief; I owe him my respect," Yvonne said.

"You don't owe him a thing. If he wants respect, he needs to earn it. Glad grandpa's able to teach him that lesson at least. Assuming he can be bothered to learn," Salem said.

"Your grandfather is a good leader – that much I can tell."

"None like him," Salem said.

"I take it you're eager to leave and never look back once this is all over," Yvonne said with an attempted hint of good humor but it didn't come out that way.

"Not exactly," Salem said. He gently tugged on his tank top that Yvonne wore so she would stop and stepped around so he was in front of her. "I love you, Yvonne. I don't want to leave you."

"You would stay here?"

"For you, yes," Salem said.

"I won't ask that of you," Yvonne said. "I would rather love and lose you than keep you and you be miserable."

"I'd rather love and stay with you," Salem said. "Hell, I can work in Phoenix or something. I'm a Veteran. I could find work easy. Then I can come back here. I'll do it if that's what's needed."

"Salem, no," Yvonne insisted firmly. "You will not throw your life away for me." Desperate to soften the mood and not wanting to argue with her, Salem took her gently into his arms resting his head atop hers while she rested her head against his chest.

"Is that an order, Yvonne?" Salem asked with a gentle smile.

"Yes, it is," Yvonne said. Salem began to rock her gently from side to side and she followed along with him once she knew the pattern.

"I told your father," Salem said, interrupting the silence.

"Told him?" Yvonne asked. "Told him what?"

"That I love you."

"When did you do this?"

"After the incident and you were asleep. He questioned what my intentions towards you are and I told him I love you and want to be with you. He was not open to the discussion."

"I wouldn't think so," Yvonne said.

"It was a bad time to be so frank with him, I know," Salem said and Yvonne nodded in agreement against his chest. "I wish you could come to Washington with me."

"Me too," Yvonne admitted.

"Can I still come and see you? Even if all I can do is visit you from time to time?"

"I would love for you to visit," Yvonne said. She was content to accept what she could get. It broke his heart that they had to settle.

Salem continued the gentle sway from before and kissed her head. Yvonne lifted her arms through the open holes of the tank so she could wrap her arms around Salem's neck. They stayed like that for a little while until Salem stopped the motion so he could gently nudge Yvonne to lift her head so he could press a kiss to her lips. She reciprocated his kiss with the same gentleness as him. Salem put their previous conversation from his mind pretending (even if that was all he could do) that somehow they'd be together the way he wanted; that they could marry, live together, start a family: everything. He intensified their kiss by pushing his tongue between their lips until hers parted so he could explore her mouth. She sighed and tilted her head more when he did and met his tongue with her own. Salem's hands began trailing lower until he was touching her hips then went lower and around so he was touching her butt pressing her against him. Yvonne moaned a little from the affectionate touch and went on her toes so she could kiss him more passionately.

They stayed that way for several minutes just kissing one another until Salem squeezed her as he pressed their hips together and the sensation was enough to make Yvonne sigh. When she did, Salem started kissing a trail along her cheek until he reached her ear where he sucked gently. Her ears were un-pierced – a first for him – so there was nothing obstructing his tongue as he trailed it over her ear and sucked the lobe eliciting a mix between a moan and a giggle. He then started kissing down her neck trailing his tongue over her skin as he went. He brought one hand up so he could pull her dress to one side in order to suck on her skin. She shivered under his touch and trailed her nails over his back and shoulders making him shiver along with her.

"I love you, Salem," Yvonne moaned.

"I love you too," Salem answered against her neck and found a new spot to suck on, making a point to keep it somewhere that could be hidden under her dress. He wanted her so badly. Yet he remembered where they were: out in the open for all the world to see and got a hold of himself. He lifted his head to kiss her again for a moment before resting his forehead against hers. "I don't know where we can go to be alone."

"We can return to my room; we can use a blanket as a door."

"I'm worried we might wake someone," Salem said.

"I can be quiet," Yvonne said and Salem chuckled a little.

"If you're quiet, I'm doing you a disservice," Salem said. "Have you ever had sex before?"

"No," Yvonne answered. "Have you?" Salem smiled a little and nodded which Yvonne felt him do against her forehead. "I've heard people talk about it so much that I feel like I'd know what to do."

"Hearsay won't do you a bit of good," Salem said. "Just because someone had one experience doesn't mean yours will be the same. That's what makes it fun."

"I suppose that's true," Yvonne said. Salem noticed her blush and felt another twist of pleasure in his gut.

"You're adorable when you blush," Salem smiled. The compliment made Yvonne's blush deepen. He pressed his lips to hers again for a quick kiss. After taking his lips away from hers, he reached down to take her hand. "Let's continue our walk." The two of them walked together for a short while before Salem caught the two cars in his sight. An idea popping into his head, Salem led her with him going straight to Oscar's truck.

"What's that sound?" Yvonne asked when she heard the sound of Salem tugging on the door latch of the passenger's side door.

"It's Oscar's truck," Salem said. Thankfully, the truck was not locked so the passenger door opened without issue.

"Will Oscar mind?"

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him," Salem said with a smile and Yvonne gave him a light giggle.

"I suppose that's true," she said and reached her hand forward so she was touching the fabric of the passenger seat.

"Let me get in and then I'll help you," Salem said and jumped into the cab of the truck. Once inside, he leaned over so Yvonne could wrap her arms around his neck and Salem lifted her into the truck then closed the door behind her. The keys to the truck weren't there, but that was fine; they didn't need them. Salem kept the windows rolled up so they could have privacy and he watched as Yvonne touched the dashboard trying to paint a mental picture of the truck.

"I've never been in one of these things before," she said as she continued trailing her hands over everything. "I can't figure out what this smell is."

"It's just the materials of the truck," Salem answered. "And I think there's some cigarette smoke, but that smelled really faint. If you really want to smell something, you should smell a new car. It's a very strong perfume smell and you either like it or you hate it."

"What do you think of it?"

"I like it if I'm honest," Salem admitted with a smile. "When I retired from the Navy in '67, one of the first things I did was buy myself a brand new car. I felt so proud of myself."

"Are cars hard to obtain?"

"They're really expensive so I guess they are in a manner," Salem said. Yvonne had trailed her hand to the wheel of the car and tugged in it a little feeling it turn, but only a little. Then she touched down to the gear shift trying to toggle it a little but abandoned it to touch the seat between her and Salem then went further up until she was touching the window facing the back of the car.

"It feels so small in here," Yvonne said.

"It's only designed to hold three people," Salem said, "Which means most of us had to lie down in the bed of the truck and hold on for dear life when we were coming back here."

"Was that dangerous?"

"Yeah," Salem answered with a small chuckle, "I'd say it was. I certainly won't be doing that again; that's for sure."

"I would hope not if it's dangerous," Yvonne replied, then took her hand off the window. She reached forward trying to find Salem and he moved closer to her and wrapped his arm around her. Salem kissed the top of her head and she smiled sweetly.

"Can I bring you onto my lap?" Salem asked. He noticed her blush as he nodded. She wrapped an arm around his neck and Salem brought an arm under her knees so he could lift her onto his lap. Once she was situated, he rubbed his hand up and down her leg gently causing the fabric of her dress to ruffle. "It's not the most private place in the world, but it's better than being outside," Salem said.

"Can someone see us?" Yvonne asked.

"They could if they looked through the window, but since it's the middle of the night, I wouldn't worry about it," Salem said. He felt Yvonne tremble a little and when he looked at her, she looked a little nervous. "We can relax and talk," Salem offered when he noticed she seemed nervous. After a brief silence, she nodded her head gently. She looked like she felt guilty about it and while Salem felt a hint of disappointment, he would never say it. "So what would you like to talk about?" he asked with a light smile. She smiled at the sound of his voice and rested her head against his bare shoulder.

"You said you had traveled all over when you were in the Navy, right?"

"That's right."

"Where was your favorite place?"

"Florida," Salem answered confidently and without hesitation. "It's a Southern State and it's surrounded by water. I stayed in Fort Lauderdale and I loved it. At least, I mostly loved it."

"Why do you say that?"

"There was a girl I was sleeping with and her father….I don't think he knew Lily and I were sleeping together; I think he just thought I was pursuing her. Either way, he made clear I was to have nothing to do with her and came just short of threatening to hang me. The man was a former KKK member."

"What does 'KKK' member mean?"

"It means Ku Klux Klan," Salem answered. "They're a White Supremacist group. That just means unless you are pale faced, you are considered an inferior. Anyway, he more or less threatened me and told me to stay away from his daughter."

"Did you?"

"I'd considered maybe continuing to see her, but I realized it wouldn't have been because I loved her; it would have been to spite him. She was a great girl, but I wasn't in love with her. It just wasn't worth the fight. So I stopped seeing her."

"How did she take it?"

"She was hurt, but she understood. She knew it was because of her dad. Besides, she found happiness, so that's what matters."

"Did she inspire a tattoo?" Yvonne asked. Salem glanced at the alligator tattoo on his arm and smiled.

"Kind of," Salem said. "So before I tell the story, you know what a lizard looks like right?"

"Yes."

"Okay. So Florida have these giant lizards called Alligators. They are longer than a man is tall and they have extremely powerful jaws when biting down, but the muscles that open their mouths are extremely weak."

"Okay," Yvonne said, wondering what this had to do with a girl but waited for him to continue.

"So anyway, the first time I met Lily, it was at a Bar called The Seagull. She was a singer there and would also attend to tables. So she and her friends walked up to the table my friends and I were sitting at and she invited us all to go to her house for a pool party. A pool is just a contained body of water basically. So we all agreed to meet, we went to her house and while my friends and I were getting changed so we could swim in the pool, we all hear Lily and her friends scream. We all run out to see what's wrong and there's an Alligator in the pool."

"Oh no," Yvonne said, "And I assume alligators are aggressive?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Salem smiled. "So when I see this thing, one of my friends said he'd call animal control to have the alligator removed. I asked how long that would take and someone said it could be anywhere from 1 to 2 hours. And I said, 'Fuck that. I'll take care of the damn thing myself.' So I grabbed a garden hose, went into the pool and wrangled that alligator into submission and forced it out of the pool and into the front yard. I scared the girls something awful and I guess they called the police because they were all outside when I dragged that alligator out to the front yard. So now I have an alligator wrapped up in a garden hose on my arm."

"You said this thing is larger than a man?"

"Yes; drastically heavier too."

"And you're saying you single handedly wrangled this thing out of a body of water?"

"Yes, ma'am, I did," Salem answered with a smile. Yvonne was quiet and looked like she didn't believe him.

"Are you telling the truth?"

"As God as my witness, it's true," Salem said and brought a hand over his heart despite her not seeing it. "Everyone called me a stupid asshole, I told Andy, the guy who did my tattoos while I was in Florida, about it and he insisted he wanted to give me a tattoo to commemorate the event. I have witnesses to this event. I'll happily call on them to corroborate my story." Yvonne was quiet a moment longer and eventually started giggling.

"You really are crazy," she said through her laughter.

"Hey, when life gets crazy, it gets fun," Salem said. He rubbed her arm a little, "I would love to take you to Florida. You'd love it there. They have huge beaches, fresh orange juice vendors; anything a beach bunny could want. And it's nice and warm. It's more humid than I think you're used to but so long as you're near the water, it's not so bad."

"It sounds like so much fun," Yvonne smiled. "Is there anywhere else you've been that you loved a lot?"

"I enjoyed seeing Europe even if I didn't get to see very much of it. Chicago was amazing. That's where I attended A-School. I became what they now call a Sonar Technician. Sonar is basically how we're able to navigate under water and know where our enemy is."

"How does it work?"

He took a moment to think how to explain in Quileute before saying, "It uses sound waves. The submarine sends out these little waves and when there's nothing out in the water, we don't hear or see anything. But if there's an enemy submarine or a biologic, or an animal or something, we receive a reading. Give me your hand?" Yvonne gave Salem her hand. "So when you wave your hand into nothingness," Salem gently waved Yvonne's hand in the open air, "you won't feel anything. But when you wave your hand against the dash," Salem moved her hand so she ended up slapping the dashboard but making sure it wasn't too hard, "You now know something's there."

"Okay, I understand," Yvonne nodded. "Did you like it?"

"I loved it," Salem said. "Had it not been for Vietnam, I might have stayed in the Navy forever. I might have actually made it to the rank of Admiral."

"Is that the leader of the Navy?"

"It's like a General," Salem said. "The 'leader' of the Navy is technically the President of the United States. But the Admirals are the experts really."

"Why did Vietnam change your mind?"

"Before that, I'd never really been completely at war. I've been involved with conflicts, sure, but I'd never been to war. When I was in Vietnam, I saw death and it rattled me." Salem was quiet a moment and glanced to his right where his memorial tattoo rested. He brought Yvonne's hand to that tattoo. She wouldn't be able to feel it really, but she'd know where it is. "I have a tattoo where your hand is. I'd gone on land to have some fun and my friend and I went to a bar. The person giving out the drinks belonged to the Viet Cong and he planted a bomb in the bar and put glass shards in the ice cubes. I realized what was happening and shot him, then realized there was a bomb and yelled for everyone to get out. I tried to save this one guy but he'd died." Salem remembered the image vividly but did not wish to go further into detail. "My friend was shot and I caught the woman that did it and chased after her. She hid in this grass but I caught up to her and shot her. When I realized what I'd done, I was horrified. Then I heard a woman crying and found this pregnant woman abandoned in the grass. That was Emma Leigh's birth mother. I tried to help her, but she shot herself. It was horrible. I panicked and could only think to save the baby. I refused to ever go back on land after that."

"I don't blame you," Yvonne said and rubbed the spot where his tattoo was. "What is it an image of?"

"It's a centipede and three lotus flowers. Chin Man was her name I'd found out. So I put her name there to honor her. Even now, I can still see her; how scared she was. In that moment, I knew I couldn't do this anymore. I couldn't be in Vietnam and fight anymore. I still needed to serve my time, but I didn't want to stay a moment longer than I was required to."

"I'm so sorry," Yvonne said. "I wish your time in the Navy hadn't been ruined like that."

"When you serve your country, it's the chance you take," Salem said. "Except for Vietnam, I'd do it all over again with a smile. Joining the Navy really was the best decision I'd ever made. It gave me discipline, gave me a fantastic education, I got friends I'll have for a lifetime and it opened doors for me that never would have opened otherwise."

"At least it was worthwhile," Yvonne said. "Your life sounds so exciting."

"Life's as exciting as you make it," Salem said. Her hand was still on his tattoo so he lifted it to his lips to give her hand a kiss. Yvonne smiled and rested her head back against his shoulder. Salem brought his arm back around her and tightened his hold briefly in a hug and kissed the top of her head. "If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?"

"I'm not picky," Yvonne said. "I would love to go to Phoenix."

"Just Phoenix?"

"It's farther than I've ever been," Yvonne said. Salem hugged her tight again and kissed her head. He didn't have an answer to that. Yvonne trailed her hand down and touched the tooth around Salem's neck, grabbing his attention. He didn't speak and watched her rub the tooth gently and even trailing her finger over the pointy tip of the tooth. "I'm shocked it's still so sharp after all these years."

"I never thought about it," Salem admitted. He stayed quiet while she continued touching the tooth.

"How did you learn of the tooth's power?" Yvonne asked.

"A blue bird brought it to my brother's window before he was shipped out to Korea," Salem said. "He says that he heard dad's voice telling him that he wasn't alone so long as he wears the tooth."

"Your tribe is very fortunate to have such magnanimous spirits," Yvonne said. Salem smiled at her and squeezed her before pressing another kiss to her head. For a moment there was quiet until they heard something outside. Salem looked at the passenger's side window to see Blu perched on the mirror of the truck and he gawked at the bird. "Did you hear something?" she asked.

"It's a bird," Salem managed. For a moment he thought he had to be wrong – there was no way Blu was here. "Do you have blue birds in the desert?"

"I couldn't say for sure," Yvonne asked. "I suppose if the bird outside is blue then, yes we do." Gently placing Yvonne back on the seat, Salem reached over and rolled down the window thinking maybe it would make the bird fly away. It didn't. Instead it waited patiently while Salem continued rolling down the window. Once the glass was completely gone, the bird flew to the window sill and the sound made Yvonne jump.

"It's okay," Salem said. He held out his hand presenting it to the bird and just as Blu would, the bird hopped into his hand without hesitation. "You really followed us to the desert did you?" Salem laughed a little.

"Pardon?"

"When my dad died, there was a blue bird that started visiting us. My little sister named him Blu. He's been with us ever since. This little guy's been with us for well over 20 years. He's in my hand right now," Salem said.

"Really?" Yvonne asked. She started to lift her hand but hesitated. "Do you suppose he would let me hold him?"

"Of course he will," Salem smiled. "Cup your hands like you would if you were collecting water and he'll hop into your hand." Yvonne lifted her hands up the way he'd instructed and just as he promised, Blu hopped into her hand and for a moment it startled her, but she kept her hands cupped and Blu stayed put. Once he was firmly put, she gave a bright smile.

"I've never held a bird before," Yvonne smiled. "He's so tiny."

"He's a little blue bird," Salem said and wrapped an arm around Yvonne's waist.

"He must be a devoted guardian if he followed you here," Yvonne said.

"He certainly is," Salem said in a mumbled voice. Yvonne carefully lifted one hand and trailed her finger over her palm until she found Blu and did her best to pet his back. Blu accepted the touch without complaint. "I think Blu likes you."

"Really?" Yvonne smiled. Then she closed her eyes, for a moment.

"Are you alright?" Salem asked when she had her eyes closed for a little while. At first she only nodded. Then she opened her eyes.

"I heard that if a bird flies to your hand, you need to make a wish," Yvonne said.

"What did you wish for?"

"I can't tell you," Yvonne giggled. "It won't come true if I do."

"Ah," Salem chuckled, "I guess that is how it goes." Salem brought his free hand up so he was cupping Yvonne's hand that held the bird. 'I wish Yvonne and I could be together' Salem wished to himself. He felt a little silly, but he figured he may as well try. Blu started to sing a little which surprised Yvonne, but she smiled at the little song and started giggling when she felt Blu flapping his wings, stand and start hopping on her hand like he was dancing.

"Is he dancing?" she asked.

"I think so," Salem said. "Maybe it's a sign your wish will come true."

"Maybe," Yvonne said. After finishing his little dance, Blu flew away and when he did, Yvonne lost her smile. "He flew away," she lamented when she could no longer feel the bird in her hand.

"He can't make a wish come true if he just sits here," Salem reassured and laced his fingers through hers. Feeling that brought Yvonne's smile back and she laid against Salem's shoulder.

"We should get back," Yvonne said. "While we walk back, could you tell me another story?"

"You mean like Rapunzel?" Yvonne nodded her affirmation. "Sure. How about I tell you the story of Cinderella?"

"Please," she said. Salem got them out of the truck and while they walked back, he told her the story of Cinderella as he knew it from the Brothers Grimm fairytales. By the time they'd returned back to the house, he'd finished to story and he carried her through the living room so they wouldn't step on anyone and brought Yvonne to her room. He kneeled down by her bed and placed her down on her blankets. "Thank you for the walk. I think I needed it," Yvonne whispered once she was in her bed. She pulled off Salem's tank top and he accepted it from her.

"Yeah, me too," Salem said. He leaned down to give her a gentle kiss. It lasted only a moment before he pulled away and looked into her blue eyes. They didn't focus on him, but he didn't care. "Sweet dreams, Yvonne. I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered back. Salem left her room with a heavy heart while Yvonne got herself under her blankets trying to fall asleep.

Salem took a spot at the archway to Yvonne's room and did his best to fall asleep, but he was surprised how easily he fell asleep. When Salem opened his eyes again, the sun was beating down on him and he realized he was lying beside the oasis. Confused, Salem sat up and looked around, but he was met with an expanse of desert. For a moment he panicked and then he saw someone in the distance. Salem stood up and cautiously approached the man in the distance, but he soon realized it was his father. Then he realized he was dreaming. He looked around assuming he'd see Nesia and JJ, but it was just him and Jae.

"Dad?" Salem spoke up. Jae turned to look at Salem and smiled. He waved for Salem to come closer which he did. Once he was standing by his father's side, he made sure to face him. "Can I make a request? If you're going to tell me something, can you not be cryptic about it?"

Jae laughed, "Good to see you too, Salem."

"Sorry," Salem grumbled after a brief silence.

"No need," Jae answered. He shifted so he was facing Salem. "The oasis is….something."

"What?"

"I went to the oasis. I don't know what, but something's infesting it. Seems to me like those waters have been infested for a long time and the creatures are misconstrued as gods."

"I don't think I understand," Salem said. "I thought that oasis formed when they came here."

"That I can't confirm for sure. I just know that it's not guardian tricksters that occupy the water."

"Whatever they are, they have Yvonne bound here," Salem said. "I don't know what to do. She can't leave or they'll kill her."

"I know," Jae said.

"I don't know what to do except come here," Salem said. "I hate the idea of being here, but if it means I can be with Yvonne –"

"Give her the tooth," Jae interrupted.

"What?"

"Give her the tooth," Jae repeated. Salem glanced down at the tooth around his neck and the realization hit him. "We'll protect her, Salem."

Salem nodded and grabbed a hold of the tooth. "Thank you, dad."

Jae smiled reassuringly, "Everything will be alright, Salem. I promise."

"Salem," came JJ's voice suddenly and Salem woke up with a start. He looked around and realized he was in Owota's house and had to breathe. "You looked like you were having a nightmare. Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Salem said. He reached up and took a hold of the tooth. "Yeah, I'm fine." He looked around to Yvonne's room then around the living room area. "Where's Yvonne?"

"I think her and Owota are already at the oasis," JJ said.

"Alright," Salem said and groaned a little. He'd have to wait to give Yvonne the tooth until Owota wasn't hovering. Given their last conversation, he wasn't confident he'd respond well to the gesture should he be privy to it.

"Alice confirmed that Miguel decided to send a scout and a small group along with him to make sure nothing happened," JJ said. "Grandpa and the others are sitting down together figuring out how we can handle this."

"We aren't making Yvonne do anything," Salem said adamantly.

"That's a given after yesterday," JJ agreed. "Grandpa will tell us the plan once they've all had a chance to talk."

"Good," Salem said. JJ stood up and walked off to the kitchen where he grabbed a bean cake he then presented to Salem.

"Here, have some breakfast. We're going to be taking it easy today so we'll be alert come nightfall, but still," JJ said.

"Thanks," Salem said and accepted the cakes. His mood lightened just a little when he thought about the night before. "I took Yvonne on a walk last night. We found Oscar's car and just sat in there talking."

"You had a proper date; good for you," JJ encouraged.

"She met Blu," Salem said.

"Wait, what? Blu?"

"Yeah. I guess he followed us here somehow. Yvonne got to hold him and she said she'd made a wish since a bird had landed in her hand."

"What did she wish for?"

"She didn't tell me. She said if she did, it won't come true," Salem smiled.

"Fairytale logic: gotta love it," JJ said.

"Dad came to me last night when I was asleep," Salem continued. "He told me to give Yvonne the tooth."

"Do it," JJ said.

"I will," Salem said. "The moment we're alone, I will."

"The sooner the better," JJ said. "How about we play poker? Give ourselves something to occupy our time."

"You got money?" Salem asked with a challenging brow. JJ smirked, pulled out his wallet and then a few singles.

"Wouldn't be offering if I didn't," JJ said.

With a small laugh, Salem pulled out his wallet, some singles and the two playing poker together betting their cash over the course of a few games. The pack and the flock kept themselves relaxed that day as ordered. Jacob and his sons, Oscar and his brothers, and the Cullens spent the morning determining the best course of action on how to deal with the vampires that would be coming so no one would escape. It was agreed that the scout would be handled by the pack and flock while the others would be up to the Cullens to capture. Alice and Edward would be able to know where to hide so as to surround the group leaving the scout at the flock's and pack's mercy. Everything was relayed to the pack and flock and for the rest of the day, they kept a low profile. Once the sun was going down, two birds were assigned atop the pedestal as per usual and the others kept themselves stationed near the border of the tribe where the scout was arriving per Alice. They waited for several hours before they finally saw something in the distance.

Once they saw the scout approaching, they would have very little time before he noticed the smell of the Cullens and the pack. Kyle kept his mind open waiting for Edward to mentally relay to him that the other group was surrounded. As soon as they did, Kyle gave the order and the pack shifted and gave chase to the scout. The flock followed from above and Oscar was the one to swoop down and grab the scout in his talons bringing him to the village. They overheard commotion from the Cullens capturing the others and shortly after they had brought the scout into the tribe center, the Cullens followed with three others that were being restrained by Emmett, Jasper and Edward. They all shifted back to normal and, rather suddenly, Ariel gawked at one of the women that was in the group.

"Holy shit! ¡Eres Imelda De La Vega!" (You're Imelda De La Vega) Ariel yelled at the woman. Gabriel finally looked at realized his brother was right.

"¡Oh Dios mío!"(Oh my God) Gabriel said with perhaps too much eagerness.

"What the hell are you going on about?" Oscar asked.

"Imelda De La Vega! She was an actress in Mexico. She used to be a tango dancer but had her breakout role back in '45 playing Sister María De Guadalupe in El Conquistador," Ariel explained.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Oscar said.

"¿Me reconoces?" (You recognize me?) the woman, Imelda, finally spoke up seemingly seeing an opportunity. Her accent was thick and even a little sensual. It reminded Nathan immediately of Ada María if he was being honest.

"Por supuesto que te reconocemos," (Of course we recognize you) Gabriel said. "Hemos visto casi todas sus películas cada vez que visitamos Perú y Brasil. ¡En el sur de Texas, te llamas the Mae West of Mexico!" (We've seen just about all your movies whenever we would visit Peru and Brazil. In Southern Texas, you're called the Mae West of Mexico!)

Imelda smirked, gently shifted her body with a purr then said, "Well Howdy do," in a thick accented version of Mae West's voice.

"Olvídalo, Señorita De La Vega," (Forget it) Nathan said. "Gabriel y Ariel pueden ser una pequeña estrella en este momento, pero su encanto no funcionará en el resto de nosotros. Ahora, aparte de ti, ¿alguno de tus compañeros habla inglés?" (Gabriel and Ariel may be a little star struck at the moment, but your charm won't work on the rest of us. Now, aside from you, do any of your companions speak English?)

"No," Imelda answered, dropping the act. "Mis camaradas solo hablan español." (My comrades only speak Spanish.)

"Claro," Nathan answered. "I'll convey what they say," Nathan said to Jacob who nodded in confirmation. "Primero," (first) Nathan continued, "¿Qué quiere exactamente tu líder de esta tribu?" (What exactly does your leader want out of this tribe?)

"Zonas de alimentación," (feeding grounds) one man answered rather bluntly. Nathan realized this man also looked slightly familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on why.

"This man came to the group very recently it seems," Edward said. "From what I can gather, evidently Miguel knew him and had reached out to him."

"¿Mi abuelo dice que te uniste al grupo recientemente?" (My grandfather is saying you joined the group recently?) Nathan asked and the man nodded.

"Sí," he answered. "Miguel se acercó a mí cuando se dio cuenta de que esta tribu tiene criaturas extrañas a sus órdenes. Esperaba que mi experiencia como torero fuera de utilidad." (Miguel reached out to me when he realized this tribe has strange creatures at their command. He hoped my experience as a bull fighter would be of use.)

"Wait," Gabriel said, "Ahora sé por qué te reconozco. ¡Eres Heraldo García!" (Now I know why I recognize you. You're Heraldo Garcia!)

"Sí," the man, Heraldo, answered.

"What's going on?" Jacob asked.

"It looks like our friend Miguel has a star-studded crew on his hands," Nathan said. "This woman is an actress, or former actress I guess, and this man is a former bull fighter."

"Great, we can get their autographs before we burn them; we need relevant information," Jacob said.

"We will tell you what you want, but you have to promise to release us," Imelda spoke up.

"I don't know if we can trust you yet," Jacob said. "How do we know if we let you go that you won't go right to Miguel and tell him we're still here? Frankly, I don't care when he brings his army on us so long as he doesn't know what he's up against and gets a chance to obtain reinforcements."

"We won't tell him anything then," Imelda promised.

"Imelda, ¿que les estas diciendo?" (What are you telling them?) Heraldo asked.

"Lo que sea que necesite para sacarnos de esto," (Whatever I need to get us out of this) she answered.

"Déjame detenerte allí," (Let me stop you right there) Nathan said, reminding Imelda and the others that there would be no secrets between them. "Si no podemos confiar en que te quedes callado, tendremos que matarte. Para nosotros, eso solo significa que Miguel se dirige hacia aquí y tenemos cuatro menos de ustedes con quienes lidiar. Nada que no podamos manejar." (If we can't trust you to keep quiet, we'll have to kill you. For us, that just means Miguel makes his way here and we have four less of you to contend with. Nothing we can't handle.)

"¿Qué quieres para liberarnos?" (What do you want in order to release us?) Imelda asked.

"Quiero que nos des toda la información que pedimos y quiero que le digas a Miguel que no nos viste aquí. Quiero que le digas que nos hemos ido y que la tribu Tistilal es vulnerable a los ataques. Si puede hacer todo eso y podemos confiar en que hará lo que prometió, los liberaremos a todos." (I want you to give us any and all information that we ask for and I want you to tell Miguel that you didn't see us here. I want you to tell him that we've left and that the Tistilal tribe is vulnerable to attack. If you can do all that and we can trust you will do as you've promised, we will release you all.) Heraldo seemed like he was at a loss and laid his head down thoughtfully.

"Si tu quieres," (If you want) Imelda spoke up for the group. "Pregúntenos cualquier cosa. Enrique y Jorge tendrán más información que yo, así que le diremos todo lo que necesita saber." (Ask us anything. Enrique and Jorge will have more information than me so we'll tell you anything you need to know).

"Bueno," Nathan said and relayed the message to the others before continuing. "Suponiendo que regreses y le digas a Miguel que no estamos aquí, ¿cuánto tiempo pasará antes de que regrese a la tribu con su ejército?" (Assuming you go back and tell Miguel we aren't here, how long before he'd return to the tribe with his army?)

"Su plan era atacar poco después de nuestro regreso independientemente," (His plan was to attack shortly after our return regardless) Heraldo answered.

"Entonces, en el momento en que vuelvas con él, ¿volverás dentro de unos días?" (So the moment you go back to him, you'll return within a few days?) Nathan asked.

"Sí," Heraldo answered. Nathan nodded and looked at Jacob.

"Apparently Miguel is coming back in a few days no matter what," Nathan said.

"When is Miguel expecting them back?" Jacob asked and Nathan relayed the question to Heraldo.

"Nos espera de regreso por la mañana," (He expects us back by morning) Heraldo said and Nathan repeated the answer to Jacob. He turned his attention to Oscar and his brothers.

"Will your flock be prepared?" Jacob asked.

"We'll make sure of it," Oscar answered and Jacob nodded.

"Is everything alright?" Nathan asked Jacob when he noticed his father looking at the group of captives suspiciously.

"I don't know if I trust them not to convey to Miguel we're still here. This guy says he'd come regardless, but how do we know there won't be more reinforcements?"

"There are no other reinforcements to be had," Imelda spoke up. "The army Miguel had with him was all the allies he has except for Heraldo. I'm only here because I was concerned for Heraldo."

"Is that true?" Jacob asked Edward.

"Miguel was thinking about allies, though Heraldo was the only face that popped up in his mind. That doesn't prove he doesn't have more at his disposal that Miss De La Vega isn't aware of," Edward said.

"Miguel is only 10 years a vampire," Imelda said. "The army he has was built on changing people on a whim. They were all promised ample feeding grounds. That is all Miguel has to keep them at his disposal. If they think it's not worth the fight, they will turn on him. You have my word."

"¿Que esta pasando?" (What's going on?) Heraldo asked.

"Tu amigo nos dice que el ejército que Miguel tiene a su disposición no es exactamente leal. ¿Es eso cierto?" (Your friend is telling us that the army Miguel has at his disposal is not exactly loyal. Is that true?) Nathan asked.

"Quieren sangre y se les prometió sangre," (They want blood and they were promised blood) Heraldo partially affirmed. "Si el grupo es leal alguien, es Imelda." (If the group is loyal to anyone, it's Imelda).

"Everything alright?" Jacob asked.

"I checked with Heraldo to find out if Imelda is telling the truth. He's affirmed the army's wavering loyalty and went on to say if they're loyal to anyone, it's Imelda. Based on Ariel's and Gabriel's reaction to her, I guarantee you that's purely from star struck infatuation."

"So long as it works to your disposal, does that really matter?" Imelda asked.

"I'd believe that army would bend over backwards for Imelda," Ariel said. "I mean, when Imelda De La Vega went missing, posters were plastered everywhere asking where she was. We were seeing them down in Brazil for God's sake."

"Yeah, but when did she go missing?" Nathan asked.

"1958 if I remember correctly," Ariel said.

"I was changed in 1959," Imelda corrected.

"Sorry, Miss De La Vega," Ariel said.

"That's alright, Mijo," Imelda said with a sweet smile and Nathan snapped his fingers at Ariel.

"Focus, kid," Nathan said. "So that's a good ten years you've been missing."

"Even if we know this army would be loyal to Imelda, how do we know she'd help us?" Oscar asked.

"I agree," Jacob said. "Best case scenario for this tribe, she'd tell Miguel we're still here and they'd find another village or town to harass. That's good news for the Tistilal but its bad news for us and anyone they've set their sights on."

"I can assure you I hold no love or loyalty for Miguel. If you releasing us is as simple as turning on him, consider it done," Imelda said.

"Imelda, ¿qué está pasando?" (Imelda, what's going on?) Heraldo asked.

"Les estoy diciendo la verdad. Miguel no ha hecho nada más que causarte problemas, pero pareces tan insistente en ayudarlo." (I am telling them the truth. Miguel has done nothing but cause you problems yet you seem so insistent on helping him.)

"Él es la razón por la que estoy vivo." (He's the reason I'm alive.)

"No, Heraldo, él es la razón por la que eres no-muerto," (he's the reason you're undead) Imelda said firmly. "Él es la razón por la que Armando está sin su padre." (He's the reason Armando is without his father.) Heraldo became visibly angry and looked about to say something, but he stopped himself and became saddened.

"Hago lo que puedo." (I do what I can).

"Armando cree que te has ido y que su padre muerto viene a verlo el Día de Los Muertos," (Armando thinks you're gone and that his dead father comes to see him on the Day of the Dead) Imelda said. Heraldo head hung low at the mentioning of his son. Imelda's gaze was sympathetic and it was clear she was trying to convey that even if it didn't sound like it. "Miguel le quitó al padre de un niño. No le debes nada a ese hombre." (Miguel took a boy's father away from him. You owe that man nothing).

"Miss De La Vega," Nathan grabbed her attention so she was looking at him. "Does Miguel have any among his army with special gifts?"

"I don't think I know what you mean," Imelda replied.

"I mean does anyone in the group have a power? My elder brother Kyle is a mind reader for example," Nathan asked again. Imelda lifted a brow at the question.

"No, there is no one like that," Imelda answered. Nathan looked at Edward and Kyle.

"From what I can tell, she's being truthfully," Edward said. "They certainly don't have any powers that would be of concern."

"Okay," Jacob said. "So, Miss De La Vega," Jacob continued, "If we let you go, will you tell Miguel that we are no longer here? Tell him there is no threat and he can move in whenever. We'll be ready for him."

"Nos piden que le digamos a Miguel que no hay nadie aquí y que es seguro atacar. Voy a estar de acuerdo y digo que eso es lo que hacemos," (They're asking that we tell Miguel that no one is here and that it's safe to attack. I'm going to agree and I say that's what we do) Imelda said.

"¿Y que? ¿Se supone que debemos pelear y no obtener nada?" (Then what? We're supposed to fight and get nothing?) one of the men that had been very quiet spoke up.

"Entramos con el ejército como prometimos y cuando llegue el momento, nos vamos. Sencillo," (We come in with the army like we'd promised and when the time comes, we leave. Simple) Imelda said.

"¿Y qué hay de todos los demás en el grupo? No podemos anunciar exactamente todo esto. ¿Qué sucede cuando huimos y los demás continúan peleando?" (And what about everyone else in the group? We can't exactly advertise this whole thing. What happens when we run off and the others continue fighting?) another man asked.

"Podemos centrarnos en Miguel, pero si lo hacemos, debes asegurarte de que todos dejen de pelear," (We can focus on Miguel but if we do, you need to make sure everyone stops fighting) Nathan suggested. "Me doy cuenta de que muchos de ustedes probablemente fueron arrastrados a esto en contra de su voluntad. Estoy de acuerdo en que no mereces morir por Miguel. Te ayudaremos, pero debes ayudarnos. ¿Acuerdo?" (I realize the lot of you were probably dragged into this against your will. I agree you don't deserve to die because of Miguel. We'll help you, but you need to help us. Deal?) Nathan offered a hand and the group exchanged a look before Heraldo nodded, was permitting to bring one hand forward and shook Nathan's hand.

"Acuerdo," (Deal) Heraldo answered.

"What's going on?" Oscar asked.

"They've agreed that they will not fight us. We need to focus our attention on Miguel; kill him right away. Once he's dead, the rest of the army will stop fighting. I told them that if they help us, we'll help them," Nathan said.

"How do we know they'll honor that?" Jacob said.

"I'm afraid at this point, you'll have to take our word," Imelda said.

"I don't know if I can accept that answer," Jacob said.

"What other answer can she give?" Gabriel defended. "Really, all we need is for them to tell Miguel we aren't here so we can catch him off guard. Hell, if they do that and when the army comes and they realize that's not true, anyone that doesn't want to fight would run for the hills in a heartbeat."

"Exactly," Ariel said. "There's drastically easier routes to blood than this and I'm sure it won't take much for that army to see us, reason this shit isn't worth dealing with and they'll run."

"I can guarantee you that is what's likely to occur," Imelda said. "Miguel sent us because his army was concerned about our odds now that the Tistilal had managed to obtain reinforcements. If they find out you're still here, they won't fight. Plain and simple. Especially if they find out on the spot."

"So really, we only need to contend with those that are willing to fight and that number won't be much at all," Owen said.

"It would seem like it," Jacob said and looked at Alice. Her answer was a nod and that was all he needed. "Alright. Deal. Go back, tell Miguel we're not here and we'll be ready when her turns up."

"You have my gratitude," Imelda said and then relayed the conversation to the others. With an agreement reached, they released their captives and Imelda took a moment to straighten her dress. "Cuando esto termine, regresaremos a la Ciudad de México. Armando volverá a la escuela pronto y sé que no te quieres perder eso," (When this is over, we will return to Mexico City. Armando will be returning to school soon and I know you don't want to miss that) Imelda said to Heraldo and he just nodded. The other two had already left the group and run off. Once she was happy with her appearance again, she took Heraldo's hand in hers. "Buena noches," she said to the lot of the group and she and Heraldo finally ran off.

"Are we sure this will work?" Oliver asked.

"Alice will tell us if they change their mind and tell Miguel," Jacob said. "We'll plan accordingly. I know it's not your father's strong suit, but he'll have to trust our judgment." Owen released a sarcastic, quiet laugh.

"So if we assume they do as they promised, how much time before that army approaches?" Owen asked.

"I'll know the moment Miguel makes a decision," Alice said.

With a plan of action, albeit tentative, they disbanded for the night and Jacob agreed he and his sons would recap everything to Barka in the morning along his Oscar, Oliver and Owen. Nesia returned to Owen's home, Travis stayed with Oscar and the others returned to Owota's home to get some sleep. Taraq ended up waking up in the wee hours of the morning when the sun was barely up. He couldn't believe he was up so early. He left the house and when he did, he noticed Uilette was outside. She was alone near a comfortable spot by the oasis working on something. It looked like she was sewing. Taraq approached and sat beside her. She glanced at him briefly and returned to her work once she knew it was him.

"How did everything go?" she asked.

"Rather well I'd say," Taraq said. "Turns out Miguel doesn't have a very loyal following. It looks like beating them will be much easier than we thought."

"Good news," Uilette said. "When do you think they'll attack?"

"Alice will tell us the moment Miguel makes a decision," Taraq said. "So what are you doing up so early?"

"Hawk woke me up when he returned last night and I couldn't fall back asleep," Uilette answered. "I've been such a light sleeper of late. I can't say I like it."

"I don't blame you," Taraq chuckled a little. "I haven't really been sleep well since I got here."

"It's a stressful time; it's understandable to be restless," Uilette said although Taraq was rather certain the army of vampires wasn't what was causing his lack of sleep. Since they'd reconciled the other day, he and Uilette had been able to bond. It felt so natural and comfortable being with her. Sometimes he even thought she was flirting with him, but he always told himself he was reading too much into it. "So will you and the flock continue training in the meantime?"

"Yeah," Taraq said. "Although unless Miguel decides he's going to move the army to the tribe tonight, I think they'll let us relax today."

"You should," Uilette agreed. "The erratic hours certainly aren't helping with your sleep."

"What about you? Do you know what's got you not sleep well?" Taraq asked.

"I couldn't tell you," Uilette said, although she had a feeling she knew what was wrong: Taraq. The more time she spent with him, the more she was growing very, very fond of him. It wasn't even physical attraction anymore. He was making her feel things she'd not felt in years. She had to remind herself of her goal. Although it was becoming harder and harder to live with herself.

"Uilette?" Taraq asked. "If there's something bothering you, you can tell me."

"I'm alright; I promise," Uilette lied and smiled at Taraq. "I wager you're hungry. I'll make you something."

"I'd appreciate that," Taraq smiled back and the butterflies that formed in Uilette's stomach were almost impossible to ignore.

By the time Salem was awake, Yvonne and Owota had already retreated to the oasis. Alice affirmed that, true to their word, Imelda and the others told Miguel that the Tistilal allies were gone and he had nothing to fear. His decision was to get his army prepared and attack in four days; taking their time. Barka was, predictably, not thrilled with the latest change in plans but was relieved that they at least had a good advantage now. The pack and flock were given the day to relax but the next day they would be training again to prepare.

Salem took advantage of the time to find some rocks that looked like what Yvonne had for her necklaces. Thankfully, what he wanted didn't take very long to find and once he had four rocks, he found Oscar and asked to burrow the car, wanting to go into Phoenix. To his great relief, no one demanded they be able to join him so Salem was able to drive through the desert to Phoenix alone. It took a while, but he eventually found a hardware store where he bought some sanding paper he could use to smooth out the rocks. That same shop had a drill he could pay to use, so once he bought the sanding paper, Salem sat outside in the hot sun sanding away at the rocks until they were all completely smooth. It took a solid two and a half hours. When he finished, he returned inside so he could drill holes into the rocks so he could put a thick metal string through them. That, mercifully, didn't take nearly as long. With all his materials prepped, Salem wrapped the metal string around the tooth first and foremost to ensure it was secured properly without damaging it and on either side, put the smoothed out grey rocks beside it. Wanting to make sure it was comfortable to wear, that same shop employee helped Salem wrap some leather around the metal string so it wouldn't be touching Yvonne's skin.

"You know, most guys just go to the local jeweler. Hell of a lot easier," that employee joked with Salem.

"She wouldn't like it as much," Salem said, knowing the truth of it. He suspected if he gave Yvonne a diamond, she would dislike it by feel alone. Too many unappealing edges and its sparkle would be meaningless. She would want something she could run her hands over; that she could touch and appreciate. "Thanks for all your help with this. She really likes this tooth and I wanted to jazz it up before I gave it to her."

"You've certainly done that," the employee said. "What's the occasion?"

Salem shrugged, "Nothing really. I just want to make this for her."

"That's one hell of an answer," the employee laughed. "Cool tattoos by the way."

"Thanks," Salem answered.

"Which one's your favorite?"

"The one I've got right above my crotch that says 'Welcome Aboard'. It was my first tattoo out of A-School when I joined the Navy," Salem answered and the employee burst out laughing.

When it was done, Salem was actually really proud of it. The tooth was unharmed, only secured with metal string, and the rocks were smooth and the leather would feel comfortable against Yvonne's skin. He knew the clasps might not be something she's used to but he knew she'd become accustomed to them in no time. It wasn't exactly a bracelet, but it was a first step. With his gift ready, Salem made the 2 hour drive back to the tribe and returned in time of dinner.

"Where'd you run off to?" JJ asked when they were all sitting together in Owota's house.

"Just to a hardware store," Salem said and then showed the necklace to JJ who whistled at it.

"Not half bad, kid. Although I don't know if it counts if you give her a necklace instead of a bracelet."

"I can't give her a bracelet now," Salem said. "Owota wouldn't approve. I need to give him time before I broach the subject again. I need to prove that I'll be good for Yvonne."

"A necklace you made yourself is a good start," JJ said. "You didn't damage the tooth I hope."

"No, it's alright. I secured it with the string looped around it. No holes drilled into it."

"Good," JJ said. "That's a priceless artifact."

"I know," Salem chuckled. "Believe me, I know."

"Why go through all the trouble? It's not like she can see it," Blu Jae said.

"It's not about whether or not she can see it. It's about how it feels. She likes jewelry that's smooth to the touch," Salem said. "When I can make her a bracelet, I think I'll do something similar to this."

"She'll love it," JJ reassured and patted Salem's back.

Although Salem sat with Yvonne when the tribe was having dinner together, Owota was closely observing him so he kept the necklace to himself for the moment. He did, however, whisper to Yvonne that he had something he wanted to give her tonight after everyone fell asleep. Everyone was told to get to bed early since they would return to training with Jasper bright and early the next morning waiting for Alice to confirm Miguel and his army were on their way. Salem didn't go to sleep right away, though. He parked himself near the entrance to Yvonne's room and waited patiently for everyone to be asleep. He could hear Yvonne trying her best not to fall asleep, but the longer he waited, the harder it was. By the time the moon was high in the sky, he heard Yvonne's even breathing indicating she had fallen asleep, but so was the rest of the house. Having his opportunity, Salem quietly crawled into Yvonne's room going right to her bedside.

He couldn't resist staring for just a moment. She was sleeping so peacefully and he wanted to just cuddle up to her in bed but instead, he leaned down on his elbow and used a free hand to rub her shoulder as gently as possible. She grunted a little at the disruption and opened her eyes as she reached out her hand to touch Salem's chest.

"I'm sorry to wake you," Salem said and when she knew it was him, she relaxed.

"It's alright. I was trying not to fall asleep but my eyes became heavy," Yvonne said. Salem smiled and leaned down so he could kiss her forehead.

"Would it be alright if we went for a walk?"

Yvonne nodded and wrapped her arms around Salem's neck while he lifted her into his arms so he could carry her through the house and outside. Once they'd exited the house, Salem put Yvonne back on her feet and took her hand in his so he could guide her where he parked Oscar's car. It was chilly outside, so as he'd done before, Salem pulled off his shirt and got Yvonne in it so her arms were covered. Once they'd made it to Oscar's car, Salem got inside and helped Yvonne in so they could be alone. This time, Salem had left the keys in the car, so he put them in the ignition and turned the key enough that he could play the radio. He'd assumed at best it would be news, but what came on was a Spanish channel in which there were two hosts talking to another but the radio had terrible static from how far from Phoenix they were and even if he could speak Spanish, he'd never be able to figure out what they were saying.

"What's that?" Yvonne said when the radio came on.

"It's the radio," Salem said and started fidgeting with the knobs. When nothing was appealing to him, he searched the cab for any tapes he could put in the 8-track, but all Oscar's taste in music was either Frank Sinatra, The Temptations and other artists Salem wasn't particularly interested in. "Couldn't have some Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin?" he mumbled to himself.

"I'm sorry?" Yvonne asked.

"Nothing. I'm just not terribly impressed with Oscar's taste in music," Salem said. "I'm not saying he needs to have Black Sabbath or anything, but I'd even take some Simon and Garfunkel."

"These are people that play music?" Yvonne asked.

"Yeah, they're 'bands'," Salem said. He managed to find The Supreme's – A' Go Go cartridge, shrugged to himself and then put it into the 8-track. After getting it set up, the first song on the track 'This Old Heart of Mine' by The Isley Brothers came on. He kept the volume down, but Yvonne smiled when the music began playing and she began swaying to the music. It made Salem chuckle a little. "You don't usually get to listen to this sort of thing?"

"Oscar has a…I think he said it's a record player that he'll play, but that's with Wisteria. Whenever it's playing, Wisteria never has the music very loud so I can barely hear it."

"I'll get you a record player and some records. If you like everything on this 8-track then I'll get you plenty of Motown."

"Motown?"

"It's a style of music," Salem said. "Personally I far prefer rock and roll, but Motown's good too."

"I would like to hear what music you like," Yvonne said, still swaying gently to the music.

"Absolutely," Salem answered with a smile. By then, the first song on the track had ended and 'Can't Hurry Love' by The Supremes began playing. It wasn't the first song that came to his mind for the moment he was trying to create, but Yvonne was clearly enjoying the music, so he didn't try to change the song. "Yvonne?"

"Yes?" she answered, turning her head so she was facing the direction of his voice. Salem suddenly felt a little nervous but reached behind his neck to undo the necklace.

"I have something I want to give you. It's a necklace that I made for you," Salem said.

"You made me a necklace?" Yvonne asked, clearly touched by the gesture and she then pulled aside her braid and turned her back to Salem. "Put it on me?" Salem smiled and brought the necklace around Yvonne's neck, securing the claps for her and trailing his hands over her back once done. Yvonne turned back around running her hands over the smoothed stones with a smile on her face. Then she reached the tooth at the center and looked confused. "Is this a wolf's tooth?"

"Yes," Salem said. "It's my ancestor's tooth. I want you to have it."

"Salem," Yvonne said with a shocked expression. "This is too much. I can't ask you to give me a family heirloom."

"You're not asking me for it, Yvonne. I'm giving it to you," Salem insisted. "I want you to have it."

"Salem, this is too much," Yvonne tried to argue but her hands were still trailing over the necklace with great affection and admiration.

"Please Yvonne," Salem said and brought his hands up so he was rubbing her arms. "Do you like it?"

"I love it," Yvonne said and even looked a little teary eyed. "Thank you, Salem."

"It's my pleasure," Salem said and then touched her face. She covered his hand with hers while one hand remained on the necklace still enjoying the feel of the smooth stones. "I love you, Yvonne. This will have to do for now, but one day I'll convince your father to let us be together. I'll give you a bracelet then."

"Salem," Yvonne began but she couldn't continue. Salem guided her face so he could look into her eyes. Regardless of them not being focused, he could still feel as though she were looking into his soul. "I love you," she finally whispered.

She didn't try to argue with him or think rationally. She didn't want to. In that moment, she wanted to pretend that, somehow, things could work out and they could really be together more than just seeing each other when he had time to come out to the desert. She wanted to pretend she could travel with him, go to Florida like he'd said he wanted to do, go to Washington to be with him and not be bound to the Tistilal like a prisoner. She wanted to pretend her wish could come true. Even if it could only be for the moment.

She moved slowly until she felt her nose touch his. When it did, she pressed her lips to is and in an instant, Salem took over. He pressed his tongue out so her lips would part and delved in to taste her once he was permitted access. Salem reached both hands down to her hips and helped her up so she on his lap, straddling him comfortably and he kept his hands on her hips squeezing her there affectionately. The way he was touching her, kissing her and the feel of him hardening under her made Yvonne tremble. Salem took a hold of the hem of his shirt that she'd been wearing and pulled it up over her head. She lifted her arms so he could take the shirt off her and Salem dropped it on the seat so he could wrap his arms back around her and return to kissing her. He then reached for the zipper of her floral patterned sleeveless dress and pulled that down until she could pull her arms through so she was bare.

When he could Salem placed his hands on both her breasts, reveling in how soft and full they were. Her nipples hardened when his thumbs rubbed over them and the whimper she released into his kiss made Salem that much harder. The sensation made Yvonne tremble and she felt this ache and yearning deep in her belly that demanded an outlet for release. Yvonne trailed her hands over Salem's strong bare chest lingering her touch over his body trying to dedicate the feel of him to memory. Her hands reached the top of his jeans and rubbed the hard protrusion that intrigued her which earned a groan from Salem. He pinched her nipples so she whimpered and brought his hands down so he could suck on them. Keeping his arms around her so she was secure, Salem held her back so he could take her nipple in his mouth. Her soft skin tasted so clean and he wished he could stay like this. Yvonne kept rubbing the area until she got a feel for the button and zipper. She got the button out of the loop and found the clip attached to the zipper so she could pull that down.

Keeping a hand behind her so she wouldn't fall, Salem brought one hand down to tug the hem of her dress up so it was bunched up around her hips then pulled his erection free between them. Her hands were there to touch him when he was released and she rubbed both hands up and down his length trying to memorize him as she'd done with his chest. She was surprised how soft it felt despite its erect stance and when she could feel it twitch under her touch, it aroused her more with a sense of satisfaction. By then, Salem had given both her breasts attention and the hand he'd brought between them had trailed gently up her thigh until he reached her core. When he touched her wet entrance and the sensitive bundle at the apex, Yvonne sighed as her head fell backwards.

Her hands left his erection so she could plant her hands on his knees so she could help her balance despite Salem already holding her up. Salem stared at the view before him; it was more beautiful than anything else he'd ever seen. Her head leaned back in pleasure, the necklace he'd given her resting on the valley of her chest, her breasts perky with her nipples at attention and sitting in his lap with the feel of her warm entrance on his fingers: it made his insides twist with need. He slipped his fingers inside her and Yvonne gasped a little but he only heard pleasure in her voice. Salem swore under his breath when he felt that tight, wet heat around his fingers as he began picturing being inside her the way he wanted to be most. Keeping his fingers inside her, Salem brought her close to his chest and got her to hold onto him while he lifted her to place her down on the seat of the truck so he was on top of her. Yvonne's eyes were closed as Salem leaned down to kiss her lips only to pull away so he could start a trail of kisses down her body all the while moving his thumb tenderly over her clitoris with his fingers fulfilling a slow tender rhythm.

Salem eventually made is down between her legs where he replaced his thumb with his tongue. Yvonne shivered under him and she felt her body contract both with surprise and intense pleasure. She whimpered his name and brought her hands above her head to press against the car door as if to press herself more firmly against him. The pleasure Yvonne felt was not like anything she'd ever felt before and she had to fight to keep herself still. Despite her efforts, though, her muscles bunched and her hips would lift themselves against Salem's tongue as if they had a mind of their own. The pressure continued to build and Yvonne felt as though she were going delirious. The volume of her voice was the last thing on her mind as she whimpered and moaned his name the closer and closer he brought her to her release. Then it finally hit and her whole body shook. Her walls contracted around Salem's fingers and he increased the speed his fingers were moving as well as added more pressure against her clitoris with his tongue to guide her through the orgasm. After it passed, she was completely limp and her heart was pounding.

Salem kept his fingers inside her while he began to kiss her thighs, her hips and her belly affectionately. He trailed his tongue over her skin as he planted his kisses and Yvonne basked in the tender aftermath. Salem soon kissed his way up her body until he reached her ear which he suckled the lobe of tenderly. Salem's fingers stayed inside her until he'd reached her ear and when he did, Salem removed his fingers so he could take a hold of his erection. She opened her eyes when he removed his fingers and she looked as though she'd woken from a dream.

"Salem?" she spoke.

"I'm right here, Yvonne," Salem whispered in her ear and nipped her skin. She whimpered and brought her arms up so she could wrap them around his neck. He lifted his head to give her a kiss that she reciprocated. She then felt the tip of Salem's erection against her entrance and she trembled. Salem pulled his lips away and opened his eyes so he could look at her. Her eyes were closed. "Open your eyes, Yvonne," Salem requested.

She did and he could stare into her blue eyes. He heard her heart racing more than before and he was ready to ask if she wanted him to stop. But then she brought a hand between them so she could touch Salem's erection. She ran her tongue over her lips when they felt dry and she guided him to enter her. Having her silent approval, Salem slipped the rest of the way inside her doing so as gently as he could. She sighed when he entered her and her head fell back with her eyes closing again. He stayed still for just a moment letting her adjust to his intrusion before finally beginning to move his hips. She gently lifted his hips to meet his and returned to having both arms around his neck so she could hold him close for a kiss. He kept his movements at a slow tempo at first wanting to savor the feel of her.

Soon, however, the slow tempo began to drive Salem mad and he wanted to move faster. Staying close to her, Salem pressed a hand against the car door for extra control and started to thrust with greater intensity and Yvonne's gentle sighs turned to moans, especially when he found an angle she especially liked. When he felt himself coming closer to his release, Salem slowed to a crawl, not ready for this to end just yet. He came down to start kissing Yvonne passionately and reached a hand between them so he could touch her clitoris again. She cried with pleasure into their kiss and started lifting her hips hoping he would move with the same intensity as before. Then Salem pulled Yvonne back up so she was straddling his lap like before. He guided Yvonne's hips so they were moving up and down on top of him and when she had a desired rhythm, she took over the movement.

Her movements were rather timid at first, not expecting to be given control, but once she found an angle that was the most pleasurable, she lost herself in the act and savored the sound of Salem's labored breathing, affirmations of pleasure and the feel of his hands on her. She had not concerned herself with reaching another climax. She'd only enjoyed what they were doing. Salem on the other hand reached between them again so he could touch her intimately and guide her towards another orgasm. With this added stimulation, Yvonne could feel the same build as she'd enjoyed before and started moving faster and faster the closer she got. When she reached her climax, Yvonne slowed down her hips being overwhelmed by the sensation. Salem kept rubbing her until he was confident the last wave of pleasure from her orgasm subsided and then grabbed a hold of her hips she he could lift her up and down, taking control again.

Her flesh was still tender so when he moved her body faster again it made her start whimpering from the pleasure of elongating the effects of her climax. She held onto Salem and started moving on her own as Salem was directing her body to do and when he finally reached his own climax, Salem wrapped his arms around her body holding her in a vice grip. She could feel him experiencing his release and she started kissing his head over and over until Salem tilted his head towards her to take her lips in a kiss. For a while that's how they stayed: Yvonne in his lap while the two of them kissed. When they ended their kiss, Yvonne rested her head o his shoulder while Salem laid his head back and just held her close.

"I could stay like this forever," Yvonne whispered.

"Me too," Salem said and kissed her head. He didn't want to let her go or return to the house. He wanted to stay right here. He glanced down at her neck where the necklace he'd given her rested. Seeing the tooth against her skin, knowing first hand of its power, he finally felt a renewed hope. They'd make it work; Salem would make sure of it. "I love you, Yvonne."

"I love you too," Yvonne answered and pressed a kiss to Salem's neck. They did eventually get themselves together and returned to the house. Salem carried Yvonne through the house to her room and placed her gently in her bed. "Good night, Salem."

"Good night, Yvonne," Salem said and the two kissed one more time before he finally left the room and took his usual spot right by the entryway to her room. When she was alone, Yvonne brought her hand up to the necklace touching the tooth. Tonight had been the best night of her life. She'd commit this night to memory and every time she touched the tooth, she would think of Salem and the love they'd shared. She could cry over their parting later. For now, she was in love and basking in the feeling.