A/N: I am so sorry. It has been too long. Life has been crazy. Here is Chapter 13. I will be working on the next chapters today.

Thanks to my beta lady, GoOasis726. If you haven't read any of her stuff, I highly recommend Blood & Roses and Paint & Merlot. Honestly, though, anything she writes is amazing!

Bella put the pans of food she and Sam cooked into the oven to keep warm. She threw away the three black pancakes, forgotten in the throes of her vision. Once finished, she looked for something else that would keep her busy.

Deciding to clean, she looked for rags to dust and scrub the floors. She couldn't help fight the threats against the tribe–her tribe, but she could help by making Sam's house feel like a home. The decor was spartan at best, and while the house was tidy, many surfaces had a coat of dust. Debris littered the floor, with some places caked or streaked with dirt. She could do this for her alpha and make his house a respite for her growing pack. And she knew several more had yet to phase.

The cleaning only took a short time. When there was nothing else to do, Bella picked up the phone and called Quil. As his voice filtered over the line, Bella smiled. She was glad she had caught him.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Sr.? It's Bella. I was wondering if you would be able to meet with me today. I still have so many questions. And I wondered if maybe you would teach me to read and speak Quileute?"

"I would be happy to assist you in learning all about our tribe, little one. Knowledge is power. We will help each other, eh?"

"Yes, that sounds perfect. But how can I help you?"

"You already have. I still feel better than I have in many years. And having your assistance with the healer duties will also help me much more than you realize. It can be quite demanding sometimes, but you were born for this role. I was not."

"I think you sell yourself short, Sr. Also, I think we have a deal. What time should we meet?"

"Well, dear, I think you'll be busy for a while. Your wolves should be home soon. Maybe we can meet for dinner? I'll come there."

Laughing, she asked, "Are you trying to finagle an invitation to dinner?"

His answer was quick and full of laughter, "Of course!"

"Then that sounds great."

As she hung up the phone, Bella thought briefly of what else she could do and started collecting laundry. Suddenly, Bella felt the tension in her muscles fade and dropped the armful of clothing on the floor. She ran to the kitchen and threw herself into Sam's arms.

Looking him over, she saw no scratches or injuries. Paul, however, had not fared so well. A long, deep scratch started at his left shoulder and crossed his body diagonally to just above his belly button. Blood oozed from the wound, and when he moved closer to the table, she noticed he was limping.

Intercepting him on his way to the table, she grabbed his hands and closed her eyes. The warmth she'd felt only one other time flooded her body, and she urged it into Paul's through their joined hands.

When she opened her eyes, she slumped back into Sam's waiting arms, and he helped her to the table.

"What the?" Paul cut off his exclamation with a look from Sam.

"Did you eat, babe?"

"I couldn't. I was waiting for you."

Letting his nose lead him, he pulled the waiting pans from the oven and filled a plate for her. Glancing at Paul, he motioned to the hall, saying, "Bathroom is that way. Go shower. Then you can join us."

Nodding once, Paul strode confidently from the room, not voicing the many questions circling through his head.

Sam set the heaping plate of steaming food on the table before her. He handed her a fork and urged her to start eating. "I'm just getting some for myself. I'll be right there with you." He hurried through getting his own, then moved to sit with her.

At her waiting look, he took a large bite and smiled at her. When she took a few more small bites, he started talking.

"You were right. Paul was chasing the redheaded leech. He was able to keep the leech from anticipating much until he got cocky and stopped singing in his head. Thankfully, you gave me plenty of time to get there. He'd be much worse off."

Swallowing hard, she looked at Sam, "I know you have no injuries now. Were you hurt as well?"

"No. I did take the leech's arm before it escaped. We already burned it. Paul wanted to keep it."

"Fuck yeah, I did. That would be a kick-ass souvenir of our first fight together."

Rolling his eyes, Sam whispered, "Spirits, give me strength."

Paul had joined them at the table with his own plate piled high. Around a mouthful of breakfast, he asked, "So, are either of y'all gonna explain? I was oozing blood with my skin ripped open, but Ms. Alpha touches me, and I'm all patched up? Not even a scar?"

Bella turned her attention back to Paul and let her gaze travel over his chest, looking for any sign of a scar. "You're lucky Sam got there in time. You could have died. You need to reign in some of your impulsivity. Let your anger guide you in battle, but don't let it guide you to battle. You will be a force to be reckoned with if you can learn to channel it effectively."

Frowning and confused, Paul said, "Little bit, say what?"

"Bella is apprenticing with Old Quil to be the healer of our tribe. You would do well to listen to her wisdom when it is shared. As for what happened? She is the healer. Maybe you should just say thank you." Sam's voice contained authority but held no heavy alpha order behind it.

Bella softened Sam's chastising tone by laying her hand on Paul's arm and saying quietly, "I don't understand it all myself. I am still learning to walk my path just the same as you are yours." Smiling at him to show her sincerity, she added, "I'm glad you are with us now, Paul. I hope you can learn to appreciate the life you have. I don't know what your past holds, but I know it wasn't easy. It was quite painful, actually. However, I know the family you've always wanted is right in front of you. All you have to do is accept it."

Finishing the last bite on her plate, Bella stood up and carried her plate to the kitchen to begin tidying up. Ignoring the looks the guys were throwing her, she simply asked, "Are either of you still hungry? Or should I put this away for later?"

Both chairs scraped against the newly cleaned floor as they stood. Bella hid a smile as they refilled their plates and returned to the table.

"I'll leave it on the counter for now, then. Let me know when you've finished, and I'll clean up. I'll be back in a minute."

Bella gathered the laundry she had dropped in excitement at the wolves' return. She carried the armload to the small bathroom closet that concealed the washer and dryer and started the first load.

As she finished setting dials and closing the lid, she felt Sam's warm arms come around her, pulling her close. "You don't have to do my laundry or clean my house, Bella."

She spun in his embrace to look at him. "I know, but what else can I do when you are out fighting? I can't just sit here and worry. I will go absolutely crazy." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his chin before burying her face in his neck and inhaling deeply, letting his scent wash through her body, quieting her soul, taking solace in her mate.

Sam held her closely, gently running his fingers through her tresses, helping soothe her weary spirit. He could feel the exhaustion weighing her down. Sam hadn't marked her yet as Old Quil advised to receive her full strength, but the pack had not finished growing yet. He wondered if that would make a difference.

Scooping Bella into his arms, Sam peeked into the kitchen to ask Paul to clean up after himself. At Paul's nod, Sam continued toward his bedroom, where he gently placed Bella on his bed. He cuddled her into his side and lifted the journal of Orenda to pick up where they'd left off.

"Orenda was given wisdom from the spirits. It became her duty to speak on their behalf to the wolf pack and tribe. On many occasions, the knowledge given to her brought victory to the wolves. Her abilities became strained as she forced herself to use her personal energy to seek visions and knowledge alongside healing powers to share with the Quileute people. She strove to ensure the health and safety of her pack and tribe.

"One battle in particular was fierce. A vision warned of four cold ones invading their lands. If the pack attacked, as usual, they would perish. However, the spirits showed Orenda that if they hid two wolves in the treetops and two as a ground force, they would be injured but victorious.

"The wolves heeded the healer's warnings and slaughtered the four cold ones, but not without great cost to themselves. The beta, Orenda's imprinted wolf, was laid open from neck to hip and had been bitten."

"Wait, Sam, we already read that bites are fatal. Did her wolf die?"

Chuckling, he kissed her head, "I don't know yet. I didn't read ahead. Shall we find out together?"

"Yes, don't stop!" she ordered.

Chuckling again, he continued to read, "The venom bubbled from the wound on his shoulder, and the skin around it turned black. Orenda laid her hands upon him and let the healing warmth flood through her body, and it sealed the wound from neck to hip. He received enough energy to heal and be intimate with her that night. During their intimacy, he felt overcome with the need to mark her with a bite.

"The bite tied her to both the pack and her wolf deeply. She felt power flow through her veins in such force that she fainted. When she woke, her wolf was cold and shaking, the veins in his body streaked with black. Soon, the entirety of his arm and upper portion of his chest was completely black. Her tears fell like rain as she observed his state. She wiped her tears with her hair and kissed him. As she kissed him, her body flooded with the warmth and power that she had felt during the marking. It imbued her, and she pushed it from her body into his. His scream shook the sky, and he said the fire burned him from the inside out. When the burning subsided, Orenda looked at her mate, slack in their bed, and saw that his skin had returned to normal. The bubbling venom was no more than a silver puddle on the dirt beside them."

"So, she could draw on the power of the pack because the marking more firmly tied her to the pack?"

"That's what it sounds like, Babe. But I won't ever do that without your permission. No matter what's at stake. I could never."

Cuddling into his side, she kissed his chest and said, "Sleep now? I need a nap after healing Paul."

"Of course, Bella. Close your eyes. I'll be here when you wake."

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this! I'm just reading through Ch 14 again and making sure it's good and solid. I will be writing Ch 15 today, and Ch 14 will post soon.