"How are you from Arizona but have never been to Las Vegas?"

"Probably because Las Vegas is in Nevada, Frank." I turned to the next page in my book and smirked as he rolled his eyes.

"Which is right next to Arizona," he argued. The man shook his head with utter disappointment. "I never thought I would say this, Bella, but you are doing cancer wrong. You're supposed to gamble all your life savings and then earn it all back ten times over, remember? Like in all the movies."

I laughed and dropped the book to my lap. "Emphasis on movies. Besides, I left Arizona when I was seventeen. I wouldn't have been able to gamble or anything before then."

"Legally…"

"Oh, so you know of an underground gambling ring?"

"Hush!" He waved his arms and rapidly looked around the room. He leaned in to whisper conspiratorially, "We can't have everyone hearing about that. Very exclusive."

I snorted. "You're ridiculous."

"Not as ridiculous as a twenty-something who has never considered gambling before," he shot back. He leaned back and tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Although, you are an old woman in spirit, I supposed, so maybe that adds up."

I rolled my eyes. "At least that means I have wisdom. I still don't know how a fourteen-year-old got trapped in your walking bag of bones and sun spots."

"That's hurtful." The curve in his mouth said otherwise. Frank chuckled and sighed heavily. "I should probably accept that getting you to do anything fun is out of my capabilities."

Charlie appeared from around the corner. "Most likely," he agreed. He sat in the empty seat besides my chair. "The only people I know of who could get Bella into anything remotely crazy are the kids on the Res back home. They turn into idiots the moment their around each other. I'm positive they all share the same braincells."

"Hey!" I whacked him. "We're not that bad."

"You jumped off a cliff, Bella."

"Recreationally," I reminded. I flipped the book to face the pages against my lap and crossed my arms defensively. "It was a recreational thing, and the others did it all the time. I was in very capable hands." Not to mention they were all supernatural shapeshifters who had no issue swimming in the ocean's current.

Charlie knew that, of course, but he still never appreciated the wolves taking me to jump off of a cliff. His face was still sour just thinking about it. "You have an extraordinary gift to attract bad luck. I still prefer cliff jumping had remained nonexistent on your bucket list."

Frank tilted his head thoughtfully at the story. "No offense, but I truly can't imagine this one jumping off a cliff." He jabbed a thumb at me.

I frowned. "I didn't just jump. I jumped three times."

"Now that is just triple bullshit."

Charlie burst into laughter, and I immediately launched into a detailed recounting of all the things I had done: cliff jumping, riding dirt bikes, backpacking, survivalist camping, etc. Frank continued to refuse to believe a single thing that I had done, and Charlie said nothing as he sat back and watched me get more and more riled up with each refusal Frank made.

"Yeah, I don't see you doing that," he said again. "You're too mild mannered to have run into a bear and scared it off."

"Well, I did. Whether you believe me or not."

"Not." He grinned as I opened my mouth to retort, and he quickly stood from the chair. He swung his backpack full of toys over his shoulder. "Well, I need to head down to the children's area, but I'll swing by again to hear more stories of things you didn't do." He walked off with a smirk before I could yell at him.

Charlie chuckled as he left. "I'm just glad Frank is able to entertain you when I'm not around."

"He annoys me."

"Close enough."

I huffed and shoved my bookmark between pages before I slammed the cover close. "What did Sue say?" I grumbled.

He smirked but indulged me in changing the subject. "That things are going well down there," he said. "Jacob and Seth have brought up coming to visit a couple of times. I think Sue and the others are planning to have a small trip up here some time; especially, now that we're on better ground with the locals."

I perked up immediately at the idea. Jacob had mentioned it a few days back when we were on the phone. I missed him and the others a lot, and I was more than happy to encourage the idea. Even if they could only send a few of them up because of the Denalis.

"That would be awesome!" I gushed. "Have they brought it up to Sam and the rest of the Elders?"

He nodded. "From what I gathered, yeah. I don't think they've discussed the matter too much, yet, though. I think they want to wait a while longer to make sure the Denalis are as peaceful as they appear to be." He scratched his wrist. "I have to admit they appear to be honest about wanting no issues with us, though, so I'm pretty sure we'd be in the clear there."

The last week had been…somewhat nice, to be honest. I had thought that after my talk with both Kate and Tanya in the same day, I would have the rest of the coven appearing from the shadows to talk to me again. It didn't happen, though. Things mostly stayed the same except Kate and Tanya allowed themselves to be more known. Whenever I went by or in the café to see Max, Kate would appear for a second to say hello or wave enthusiastically from the back. She still kept her distance, but she didn't stay hidden in her office.

Tanya was slightly more present than her sister. The few times I had run into her on the street or in the café, she would say hello and engage in a little small talk. I still wasn't entirely forthcoming about casual conversation with either of them, but the passing comments didn't bother me near as much as they had before. The sisters still took the dismissals I gave them, and they took them with a surprising amount of grace.

Altogether, their behavior over the past week had let me start to see what exactly Max and the town saw in the family. The Denalis were quite genuine with their actions, and they were open. They were nothing like the Cullens in that aspect, and it was a fact too stubborn to ignore.

I tapped the back cover of my book. It was the one Tanya had gifted me a few days before—it had been worth the wait. "I don't really doubt they want peace," I said. "The town is important to them, so it only makes sense they want a truce, but…I'm not certain about them being around the wolves. The Cullens weren't too excited about the tribe, and I don't know how they'll react to them."

"I don't either." Charlie sat back in his chair thoughtfully. His brows furrowed the way they did when he was looking for a solution. "It may be worth a shot, though."

I frowned. "What is?"

He shrugged. "I don't see the harm in asking if the wolves would be allowed to visit," he said. "It is their turf after all. I'm sure they would appreciate us acknowledging that…and how gracious it was of them to not kill us on sight."

"They're the vampire equivalent of vegans. It's against their morals."

"Still, I'm sure the laws they have would tip those scales in any other case," he argued. "I'm just thinking politically here…or would it be diplomatically? Whatever. The point is the wolves are nervous about the family, but they are more nervous about not seeing what it's like up here for themselves. Worth a shot to just ask the Denalis if they would allow it."

I considered the idea for a moment. He had a point. I knew the Cullens and wolves had been able to strike up an agreement centuries ago. Surely, if the Denalis were as generous as they made themselves out to be, then they would be willing to allow at least one of our friends to visit us—even if they were natural enemies.

"Alright," I agreed. "When should we ask them?"

"The sooner the better, probably, so the tribe can get things all sorted on who is coming and when," he said. He glanced me over and tilted his head. "Maybe in a few days. You don't need to feel like shit while asking permission to drag a few werewolves up here."

I smirked. "Maybe they'd take pity on me if I was throwing up every few minutes, though."

"We'll put that in the suggestion box."

The next few days were shit (as expected). It was the same sickness and exhaustion that kept me nearly bedbound for the first two days and then improved with time. By the fourth day, I was at a solid eighty percent on my wellness scale.

That was the day I decided to go into town and seek out Tanya myself. Charlie had wanted to wait until after I felt better and to approach the family as a united front. I understood where he was coming from with the plan, but I had a strange hunch it was better I approached Tanya alone. I wasn't quite sure why I had was so certain of it, but I was fairly confident she would be more willing to discuss the matter in private. It was a delicate topic, after all, and more people in the discussion meant less delicacy.

Jerry was at the desk, as always, when I walked in. He was reading some shitty looking sci-fi book that was immediately pushed aside to greet me. "Long time no see, stranger," he grinned widely. "How are ya?"

I smiled tightly in return. "Alright enough to move around town."

"Better than being stuck in bed all day, I suppose." He motioned around the store. "Gather your goods and bring them up when you're ready."

I shook my head. "Um, I'm actually here to see Tanya."

I wasn't sure if it was the fact I was saying "no" to books, or the fact I was looking for Tanya, but the way his eyes widened was comical. He blinked owlishly and nodded slowly. "Uh…yeah. Yeah, she's in her office." He waved to the right at the door labeled "Employees Only".

"Is it alright for me to go back there?"

"Uh…"

The door opened, and Tanya stepped out. Her eyes glanced over me curiously, but her smile was welcoming. "Hello, Bella."

"Hi." I awkwardly took a few steps towards her. "Can we talk?"

Her smile never faltered as she nodded. "Of course." She stepped to the side behind the door and held it open wider in invitation. "We can speak in my office."

I nodded tensely, waved to Jerry, and stepped past her through the doorway. It led to a small hallway that stretched the length of the shop. The closest door was clearly the bathroom with what was most likely the maintenance room a little further down to the right. Tanya's office, I guessed, was the door at the end of the hall to the left.

She slid past me into the hallway and motioned for me to follow her left. The door to her office was still open, and I was pleasantly surprised as we stepped inside. For some reason, I had expected the space to be rather Spartan and professional with clean walls and little decoration.

The office was actually quite the opposite. The walls were a soft green color with pictures of Tanya and her family hung along the walls. A few succulent plants sat in the window of the office where they could get the most sunlight. A small bookshelf containing binders and books was to the left of the door with a filing cabinet beside it. A large dark wooden desk sat in the back of the office with a computer and papers on top of it. Two cushioned chairs sat in front of the desk on an equally ornate rug.

The door softly clicked shut behind me, and Tanya stepped around me. Her eyes glanced up with a smile as she walked towards her desk. "I like the new tattoos."

I stopped my examination of her office as I suddenly remembered the new marks on my scalp. My hand ran across the tacky texture. I had chosen geometric patterns this time. They managed to blend together well enough to look like a continuous piece around the crown of my head. "Oh, uh…thank you."

She nodded and motioned towards the chairs for us to sit. "You've never come to see me before." Her brows dipped in concern. "Is everything alright?"

I nodded but didn't move to sit down. Neither did she. "Everything's fine." I tugged on the end of my sleeve. "But…I wanted to ask you something. A favor."

That piqued her interest. "A favor?" She leaned back to rest her hip against the back of the chair. Her right brow quirked upwards as she crossed her arms. "What kind of favor?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. I knew it was an incredibly big ask considering the situation we had with the family, and my nerves definitely kept me aware of it. "I have some friends back home that would like to visit."

She hummed and tilted her head. "I take it because you're asking me that they aren't human."

"Shapeshifters, actually."

Her expression turned serious instantly. She sat up a little straighter against the chair. "Shifters…What kind of shifters are they?"

"Wolves."

Her entire body stiffened. It was about the reaction I had expected. "Our kind are not exactly on good terms with them," she said slowly. Her mouth pulled into a line. "Are they able to control their shifts? Or are they forced to change with the moon?"

I frowned. The moon? "Uh…no? Isn't that a myth?"

The tension left her body as quickly as it came. Her expression softened as a small laugh bubbled from her chest. "No, it's not," she said in amusement. "I take it your friends are younger shifters if they don't know the difference between werewolves and wolf-shifters."

I frowned. "They've had the ability from generations. It's what we've always called them."

"Most likely a borrowed term, then," she explained. "It became popularized when colonization occurred. European legends and translations had a way of making the originals disappear or merge into their own image." She sighed. "A sad thing for many who had to learn from scratch about their existence, but it did help the rest of us hide in the long run."

That…was actually interesting. Honestly, with how secluded the Pack had been from most of the supernatural world, it made sense they would have outside influence from the human world in their oral histories. They did, after all, mainly refer to themselves as "spirit warriors" if they didn't use "werewolves". It was a conversation to have with Billy the next time I saw him, at least.

"Well, if they're not really werewolves, does that mean you'll allow them to come?" I asked hopefully.

Tanya pursed her lips and dipped her brows in thought. "It's complicated," she said. "While I understand that you are trying to advocate for them, they are still unknown to me and my family. I'm hesitant to allow them on our land given how tensions between us could play out."

I nodded. "I understand, but they know about your family being here and asked to come. They don't want to start anything. They just want to make sure that Charlie and I are fine."

She frowned. "Have you given them any reason to believe you aren't?"

"I'm surrounded by the same monsters that hunted me for sport. Do they really need more?"

Tanya was silent. For once, she looked genuinely uncomfortable as a dark look crossed her face. Her eyes moved to the hidden scar on my wrist as a hint of black seeped into their gold irises. Her brows pinched, and she looked away from me with something similar to shame. "No," she said finally, "they don't."

"Then let them come," I urged. No, I was begging at this point. I had missed my family so much that the mere idea of having the possibility ripped away from me was almost intolerable. "Even if it's only one…just let them come for a little while. They won't do anything to put you, your family, or the town at risk. They just want to know that my dad and I are safe. They were the only ones who protected us, and they've always been there. We're family to them—they're family to me."

I stared at her, pleadingly, as Tanya suddenly looked conflicted. Her shoulders rose and fell with a heavy breath and her hands covered her face. She tilted her head back towards the ceiling. Her fingers pressed just above her brows in a small massage as if she were trying to prevent a headache. I wondered, briefly, if it was a leftover habit from her time as a human.

She stayed that way for several long seconds. The only comfort I had of her at least considering was the small movement of her fingertips. My nails curled into my palm as I held myself back from urging her to answer. I was sure the increasingly rabid beat of my heart gave my anxiety away enough. Finally, she inhaled deeply through her nose. "I need to discuss it with my family before it is fully decided," she mumbled through her hands, "but I will allow one wolf here."

My eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yes." Her hands dropped from her face. Her eyes were once again their normal golden color, but the heaviness of her face had stayed. "I would prefer the stay was brief, though, to lessen the possibility of high tensions arising between us. I would also like it to be made clear that I won't tolerate any sort of fighting or goading. From my family or yours."

Well, that ruled Leah out. I could already imagine how she would go for Kate's throat, and I knew the blonde wouldn't hesitate to give as good as she got. "They'll understand. I promise."

She nodded curtly in satisfaction as her shoulders sagged. "Good." Her attention turned towards the window. "I'll take your word for it."

I nodded eagerly. "Yes! I swear if this goes wrong, I'll take full responsibility for it and kick their asses out for you. Thank you." I bounced on the balls of my feet ready to dart out the door and tell the Pack the news. I didn't even need to talk it out with them, really—I knew Jacob was the one I wanted up here. I missed my best friend, and he wouldn't cause trouble on accident.

Tanya's mouth turned up just slightly at my offer. "I don't doubt you."

"You shouldn't. They know it as well as I do." I grinned and reached into my pocket to grab my phone. "Thank you, though, Tanya. Really. I'll go tell Charlie the news, and we can talk to the Pack about it."

I saw her mute nod as I turned towards the door. My screen was already lit up with Charlie's contact. He would be pissed that I talked to Tanya alone, but I knew he'd be pleased with the outcome. Sue would be ecstatic, too, even if she wasn't able to come. Seth and Leah were going to give me grief for choosing Jacob, I was sure, but that didn't matter when—

"I'm not one of them."

I stopped. My hand hovered just above the cool metal of the doorknob as I turned my head to look over my shoulder. Tanya had turned away from the window and stared at me earnestly. Her shoulders were slouched as she clung her arms tightly across her body. "Those monsters…" she said slowly. "I'm not one of them. I just…I hope you know that, Bella."

I blinked. My mouth opened and then closed. I turned my eyes back to the doorknob as my skin found the metal. "Why do you think I came here alone?"

The door shut behind me.