Chapter 6: The Truth

After that night at the casual bonfire, I didn't hear from Jake. He and Sam had also both missed the bigger bonfire with the elders, and I was worried. I tried calling his cell phone, sending him texts, and even calling his house; however all his father Billy would say is that he was ill. Sam had barely been available himself, only sporadically texting, barely calling, and unable to hang out because he too claimed to be ill. Leah was still being cryptic, and at that point I realized she had to know at least something about this mysterious sickness that's going around the men of the tribe. Leah, Emily, Kim, Jess and Angela had become my constant sidekicks, we'd gone shopping together in Port Angeles, the largest town closest to La Push, and Charlie was happy when I'd requested for the girls to stay over that night. The next night, Leah and I slept over at Angie's house with Jess joining us, and after two nights there we switched to the Clearwater's, during which Angela had admitted that she and Embry had been becoming more than friends, and her concerns over not hearing from him in going on two weeks.

"Bella can't get in touch with Jacob, either. Embry has been sick, Quil too, and you've not seen Sam." Jess said, frowning, "It's not like you can't answer a text if you're sick. Let me message Seth."

"You should just let Seth be, if you text him he's going to want to come hang out with us, and this is a little brother free zone." Leah pouts, "No more boy talk. It's bad enough that Kim couldn't tear herself away from Jared for one night."

"You all were letting me talk about Embry." Angela pointed out.

"Exactly!" Jessica smirks at Leah then looks over at me, "Weren't you and Jake kinda talking too? Like more than friends?

Ever since the last bonfire, which was now almost two weeks ago, I couldn't seem to get Sam Uley off my mind. I'd been asking Paul why he specifically left me with Sam that first night and he'd simply said that he wanted me to meet his friend and there was no nefarious reasoning behind the introduction and his quick exit. Paul had been working almost non-stop at his security job, and he'd been unwilling to answer most of my questions, much like Leah. While I was certainly attracted to Jake, and had been interested in getting to know him on a different level when I first moved back, now it seemed to take a back burner to my curiosity about the older man Sam.

Especially when I heard the legends at the last bonfire and remembered Sam's insistence that I pay attention to them.

"Jake and I are just friends; we've known each other for a long time and we're really close." I reply and Leah looks at me with skepticism evident on her face.

"When you first moved back here you two were all gaga for each other, what happened?" Jess asks.

"Nothing." I lie.

"Sam Uley happened." Leah replies with a strange expression, almost as if she's studying me.

"Bella, is there something going on with you and Sam?" Angela asks and I shake my head.

"No. He said he doesn't want to get in between Jake and me."

"Do you want him to?" Jessica asks.

"I don't know. I've known Jake my entire life, and for a while I thought we were just friends because of the distance, you know how long distance relationships go. I had to wait until I was eighteen to be able to leave without Renee flipping out, and I wanted to graduate from high school before I came here to get to know my brother and uncle, and to reconnect with my friends," I smile at Leah and she grins back, "but I'd be lying if I said that Jake wasn't a tiny part of the decision making process that brought me back here. You don't understand, he was my rock when everything else was pure chaos throughout our entire lives."

"We get it sweetie, even though Jess and I haven't known you as long as Jake and Leah, we can see that you've been through a lot. Just your mom keeping you from your brother and uncle is bad enough." Angela says and I look down at the floor.

"Hey, I know we've been giving you shit about you and Jake, but you do know you don't have to be with anyone you don't want to, right?" Jessica asks.

"Jess..." Leah starts and I watch the couple exchange a look.

"I know that I don't, and there have been times over the years that I questioned my feelings for Jake. It's just been weird since I got here. He's been angry, jealous and even outright mean at times when it comes to Sam."

"Jake likes you, and you like Sam," Jessica shrugs, "Sam might be jealous of Jake too, but he's at least being mature about it."

"But I'm not even with Sam... and he's already said he doesn't want to interfere in my friendship with Jake. I just… I don't know… I've only known Sam for maybe a month now, but I feel such a deep connection with him."

Leah's dark brown eyes jerk to mine, "What kind of connection?" She asks.

"A pull? It's weird, it's almost like a physical sensation that I can actually feel when we're together."

I now realize I have Leah's full attention, and I wonder if she'll finally reveal what it is that she knows about the strange illness plaguing the young men of our tribe.

"Do you also feel it when you're apart?" Leah presses and I see the concern on her face.

"Yes. I don't get it, the best way I can describe it is like a rubber band that is being stretched too thin when Sam and I are apart."

"That shouldn't be possible." Leah murmurs and before I can ask her about it Angela starts talking.

"Awww that's so romantic. Do you feel anything like that with Jake?" Angela asks with a grin.

"No." I admit and I can see the shock evident on Leah's face.

"You don't feel any type of pull with Jake?" She asks I shake my head, "None of that weird rubber band feeling?"

"Nothing," I shake my head, "That weird strain thing seems to only be related to Sam."

"Is the strain gone when you're actually with Sam?" Leah presses and her brown eyes bore into mine.

"Yes." I say softly.

"How long has this been going on?" She asks.

I don't get a chance to answer before Jess sighs loudly, "Oh my God, Seth is pissed, look," She shows us her phone and we all huddle around it. Seth's opinion of Sam seems to be just as bad as Jake's, and he accused Jake, Quil and Embry of faking a sickness to avoid all of us since he'd seen all of them with Sam's group earlier that same day.

"But Sam has been sick too, he's only been texting, never calling or stopping by." I reply and everyone looks at me.

"So, they've been 'sick' for almost two weeks," Jess says, using air quotes, "and now they're all well enough to hang out with Sam but not us?"

"Jake doesn't even like Sam." I murmur and Leah looks up at me. I can tell she wants to talk to me, but before she can say anything we can hear Sue calling her from downstairs.

"I'll be right back. No planning without me." She says with a smile that doesn't meet her eyes.

Once she's out of the room, Angela looks over at me, "Bella, there must be an explanation. Maybe we can drive over to his house?" She offers.

"No, Leah has been saying that Jake has been super emo lately. If we all show up, he's just going to get pissy. You should go, Bella. I have the keys to Leah's car, and we can cover for you. We'll tell her you had to run home for Charlie." Jessica says.

"I shouldn't just take her car…"

"She won't mind, I promise you Bella." Jessica replies, "You deserve answers, and if Sam and Jake are fighting over you, they should at least involve you in any decision making between them."

"That's a good point." Angela replies.

"Fine, I'll go, but you all cover me, please." I reply and Jessica smiles before tossing me the keys.

"Don't worry, I'll distract Leah."

When I pull up to the familiar red house, I'm surprised to see Jake in the yard. I get out of the car and shout his name, getting his attention immediately.

He looks over at me and his shoulders slump, "Bella, go home."

"What did you do?" I ask when I see his beautiful hair has been cut short and is sticking up all over his head, "Is that a tattoo?" I pointed to his arm, "Aren't you cold?" I add when I notice he's just in cut off shorts and a no shirt on a cool and drizzly night.

"Go home." He commands in a firmer voice.

"Why? Your dad said you were sick. You've been avoiding me for two weeks now. Seth said he saw you with Sam earlier, what is going on?" I keep approaching him, and suddenly I realize he's not alone when Jared approaches.

"Ask Sam, I know you fucking talk to him all the time!" Jake shouts at me.

"Bella, it's not a good idea to be around him right now." Jared says and I turn my anger to him.

"What did you do to him? Why does he look like this? He's… he's taller, his hair... he doesn't even look like himself. What did you do?" I ask.

"Bella-" Jake begins walking towards me, but Sam approaches and interrupts.

"Jacob, you need to stay away from her. Bella, go home." He commands and I gape at him.

"Sam, just let me talk to her, come on!" Jake yells and Paul runs up, shirtless, and pushes Jake back.

"Dude, you have got to calm the fuck down, that's my baby sister over there and your dumb ass will not hurt her again." Paul says as he grabs him roughly by the arm and pulls him away.

I watch as Jake shakes and drops to the ground, his entire body in spasm, and I try to get past Sam who suddenly puts his arms around me and holds me to his chest, "Birdie, you can't be here."

"He's my friend, I've known him my entire life, please…." I trail off and he just wraps me tighter. His body is burning up, and the coldness I was feeling from the damp air just dissipates with Sam's warmth.

"Dude, chill, you don't want to hurt her." I hear Paul say and Jake grunts.

"I'm going to talk to her, do you guys have him?" Sam calls over his shoulder.

"Got him, boss." Paul replies as Quil and Embry approach, all with similar short haircuts and matching tattoos.

"You're not keeping me from her anymore, I choose her!" Jake shouts as he pushes against Paul, and Sam turns towards him, "I choose her. She's not accepted your alleged imprint; I get the choice!"

"What is he talking about?" I ask and Sam looks down at me and exhales slowly.

"Let's go." He replies.

"She's mine, Sam! Don't ignore me, fucking talk to me!" Jacob yells and I watch as Quil and Embry join Paul in dragging Jake back.

"Dude, she's not yours!" Paul yells while roughly shoving Jake, and I see the hotheaded temper I've heard so much about rearing its ugly head.

"You don't know shit-" Jake starts, but Paul pushes him back.

"You aren't the fucking Alpha, he is!" Paul yells.

Everything happens at once, and I'm not sure I believe anything I'm seeing. I watch in horror as Jake's body completely spasms, and where he once stood is now a large reddish colored wolf. Within seconds he's surrounded by two more wolves, a silver one and a brown one, and suddenly I no longer see the boys, all I see are wolves. The reddish color wolf charges at Sam, who picks me up in his arms and runs away from the wolves.

"What was that? Where are they? Where did the wolves come from? Sam, we need to go back, what if the guys are hurt? My brother is over there, please!" I scream as he continues to run. I bury my face in his shoulder to avoid the motion sickness I am starting to feel, and when he finally slows down, I see we are at a small apartment, and he puts me down on a worn couch.

"Who knows where you are?" He asks and I shake and hug my arms around myself, "Bella, who knows where you are? Was that Leah's car?"

"Ye…yes… she doesn't know… only… Jess... Angie…"

He grabs my phone and scrolls through until he's satisfied, and I can hear him having a one-sided conversation with who I assume is Leah. He approaches me again, crouching in front of me and placing a warm hand on each of my knees, "I told her you were with me. She's okay for now."

"What did I just see, Sam?"

"Remember when I asked you what your thoughts were on the legends? You were at the last bonfire with the elders, do you remember what they said about what our people are descended from?" He asks.

I meet his eyes, "Wolves."

He nods slowly, "I needed you to stay away from Jake because I could see how angry he had been getting lately. I've kept an eye on him for weeks before you arrived, and I think the happiness and anticipation of your arrival gave him a slight reprieve. But it was inevitable that he'd shift, he has the gene, he's just a little older."

"Older than who?" I ask.

"Me, when it happened to me… I was the first."

"Wolves? You're all wolves?" I ask.

He smiles briefly before moving to sit beside me and taking my hand in his, "Yes. Those of us who carry the gene may shift. The gene exists in only a few families, the Black, Clearwater, Ateara, Lahote and Uley families all carry the gene."

"Lahote?" I whisper, "Um my last name is Swan because it's Renee's last name, but... Jerome…um, my father… I'm a Lahote…"

"I know. We have no records of female shapeshifters in our archives. That's not to say it can't happen, but it never has." He explains, "You okay so far?"

I let out a wry chuckle, "Sure, my family line descends from shape shifting wolves, my brother is one, my best friend is one, and now you are one too. I guess Jake was wrong about your gang, huh?" He laughs and I realize it's a sound I want to hear for the rest of my life.

Am I fucking crazy?

"No gang, just the first one in a long time whose shifter gene triggered, so I've been watching for more." He replies.

"What causes the gene to trigger?" I ask and he sighs.

"The only enemy we have, it's who we were made to protect against." He replies.

"Cold ones?" I whisper and he nods, "There are Vampires here? In La Push?"

"Our ancestors made a treaty with a local coven, they don't ever drink from humans, and do not hunt their animals on our land. We also do not shift on theirs without provocation. It's been in effect for hundreds of years, and that coven moved decades ago when they realized they couldn't explain the fact that they never aged. Enough time has passed that they have returned." He explains, "Our minds may understand that there is a treaty in place, but our genetics do not, and unfortunately with one coven in semi-permanent residence they have others who pass through. The ones who do, we are forced to patrol, because we have no agreement with them to keep our people safe."

"You've been shifting for how long?"

"Almost five years now. I did it by myself for almost a two years before Jared shifted, and then Paul was right behind him. We've been watching Jake for a while, but Embry is a surprise because we didn't know who his father is. With him shifting, we now know it's either Billy Black, Harry Clearwater, Jerome Lahote, Quil Ateara IV, or my own deadbeat father Josh Uley. I suspect his father is Josh." He sighs.

"Is this why I've not seen Quil, Embry or Jake?" I interject and Sam nods.

"A brand-new shifter is dangerous. As you can see from Jacob, they have little control over their anger or impulses. I didn't want to keep you apart, well outside of my own selfish reasons, but it was necessary until he can control himself. He has quite the temper when it comes to you." Sam replies.

"Your own selfish reasons?" I ask, "I'm sorry, this is all… a lot… and I just feel like I'm questioning you to death."

"You're doing well, Birdie. You're surprisingly handling everything very well for only being back here for a handful of weeks now. My own selfish reasons have to do with what happened at the bonfire, it's related to-"

"Imprint?" I ask, "Ugh, sorry for interrupting, but Jake went crazy when he was talking about it."

He nods his head, "Imprinting happens when a wolf sees their mate for the first time after they have shifted. It's hard to explain, but it's something in our genes that makes us recognize our true mate. It's a once in a lifetime thing, but it sometimes never happens if we never cross paths with that person for one reason or another. However, if we do, it happens."

"Jake imprinted on me?"

"No, he can't imprint." Sam says wearily, "He has feelings for you, but it's not an imprint."

"Why didn't anyone ever tell me about this?"

"Because only the elders and the shifters themselves know the legends are true, never outsiders."

"But I fucked that up and saw everything tonight." I sigh, "Are you going to get into trouble for telling me all of this?"

"No." He shakes his head but doesn't elaborate.

"So, nothing will happen when the elders find out I know?" I press.

"We're allowed to discuss it with our imprints."

"Sam, I am so confused. You told me that Jake can't imprint, so if I'm not an imprint how are you able to tell me?" I ask.

"Because you are my imprint." He admits.

"Me? How?" I shake my head, "Oh my God, the bonfire?" I ask and he nods, "That's what happened with us?"

"Yes. It's the spirits, we can't control it." He replies softly.

"But… Jake said he chose me? How?" I stammer.

"It's hard to explain, and I promise you I will when I can. As far as the imprint from me, it's up to you. You can reject it, which will give you the freedom of your own choice without some weird sort of genetic or spiritual thing, or we can try to get to know each other. An imprint is just that – I will always be a part of your life; in whatever capacity you need me to be. A brother, friends, or lovers."

"I need to… think… wow…" I shake my head.

"I know that you and Jake are close, and now that he's part of the pack he knows about my imprint. This isn't the way I wanted him to find out, because of the relationship the two of you have." He replies uncomfortably.

"Jake and I.. we're not together… we're friends. I've tried to tell you that." I murmur.

"That's not what he wants, Bella." Sam replies. Hearing something other than the nickname he has for me coming from his lips seems almost unfair, and it triggers a strange feeling inside of me.

"What about what I want? My whole life, I've had to ignore my own wants and needs to make sure someone else is okay." I'm angry, and I step away from Sam and pace.

"Jake told me that part of you coming back to La Push was to pursue a relationship with him." Sam replies.

"I've already told you the main reason I came back, and its not Jake. He may feel differently, and at one time maybe I did too, but he and I have not been able to have that conversation because he's been angry and jealous of you!" I reply angrily.

"Right now, until you decide on what to do with the imprint, or Jake, you're a part of our pack. If you reject the imprint, you will no longer have an obligation to the pack, unless you choose to be with Jake. I just want you to know you have a choice, because if you break the imprint with me, you can be with him." Sam says.

"Jake was there when no one else was. I feel like I should give him a chance because he was so good to me." I whisper.

Sam drops his head and I feel him trying to pull his hands away from me, "The imprint says I will be anything you need me to be. If you just want to be friends so you can persue something with Jake-"

"That's not what I want! I am so drawn to you, but what if it's just the imprint?" I ask and I can tell my words have hurt Sam.

"You should take some time to think about things." Sam says and I open my mouth to reply but a squeeze of his hand on mine stops me, "I want us to get to know each other, Little Bird. That's why I didn't immediately tell you. I wanted you to see me; to know who I really am. I don't want it to be forced, I want us to choose each other."

"Does Leah know about this?" I ask and Sam sighs, "She's been really weird since that first bonfire when it comes to you." I add.

"Yes, and it's up to her if she wants to explain how she came to find out. She's not supposed to talk about it; however I can let her know it's okay."

We are interrupted by my phone ringing, and I look down to see Jake's name. Sam smiles at me, a little sadly, and gets up, "I'll give you some space, let me know when you're ready to leave and I'll get you back to the car."

"Sam-"

He shakes his head, "It's okay, Bella. You have a choice, and I won't interfere."

I once again am uneasy when he doesn't use his nickname for me, and then I feel my heart breaking when he turns away.