Chapter 6: Ch.5
We got out of that hell hole of a city as soon as dark descended and my wolf released control when we stole the same car from the police this time, not that they actually minded, and got out of town.
Alice had to apologize to the officers as I stole the car. It was more for there safety anyway. They practically let us take it when I growled their way. But once we were on the outskirts it released it's hold on me.
I took a deep breathe and held Alice's hand. "I'm back."
She looked relieved as she smiled lightly. "How's the wolf?"
I sighed. "On edge. Even if I can't sleep it can and it's having nightmares right now."
Edward asked. "Were all those memories-"
I grunted an affirmation and he dropped it as I switched gears and drove faster. "This is a nice car, though not my favorite, do you want one like it?"
Alice laughed. "You know me so well."
I chuckled. "I'll have it ordered on the flight home and it should arrive the day after we do."
Bella asked. "So what happens now? Are you all moving back or what?"
I sighed. "That'll depend on little Ed. We left out of respect for his feelings, not that we'd have stayed gone much longer anyway. You're still family and Alice was in the middle of convincing me to return with her to Forks when she saw you jump."
Edward sighed. "We're moving back. After all, it's not like I can protect you much while I'm not even on the same continent."
I sighed and Alice made the call to the rest of the family. They'd meet us there I'm sure. I hummed a tune and things became less awkward on the way to the airport. Bella fell asleep during the flight back so we moved her to the bedroom where they both stayed for the rest of it.
I ordered Alice her car with all the extra bells and whistles for Rosalie to tinker with. After that we had a slow romp on the couch that my wolf had nothing to do with. When we landed I mentioned buying a hot tub for the cabin so we could enjoy a personal one for ourselves.
Alice who's cleaned up in the bathroom on the plane agreed so long as I got a bigger jet. Edward looked at us funnily and I chuckled before patting him on the back. "You'll understand once you're no longer a virgin. Sex between real lovers is something you can enjoy almost anywhere."
He shook his head. "You weren't going for it in Italy."
I sighed. "Almost anywhere. Even my wolf was in no mood for a go in that place and it was literally the farthest thing from even my mind there. That place only brings back terrible memories and none of them make me want sex."
I coughed before lightening the mood. "Anyway, I'm sure you'll have a roll in the hay sooner or later. Just make sure to respect whomever the lucky lady is in the morning."
I walked off to Bella blushing and Alice's giggles. She swatted my arm before holding onto me. Emmett picked us up in the Jeep and took us home. We dropped Bella off first with the excuse that it was a shopping trip with Alice.
Alice even ordered her a bunch of stuff and told Bella to tell her dad it would arrive by mail as it was to much to carry. We picked up our school work easy enough and caught up in a week all in all. Not that it really mattered.
Alice's yellow Porsche 911 turbo arrived the day after we settled in and she insisted we ride in it everywhere. It was for our own good as it would be inauspicious if we let a new car sit and rust. Or so she claimed. I didn't mind as I wasn't the one driving, I'd deny her nothing.
After our first week back I decided it was time to start focusing on finding out why the wolf would change me. It'd been months since it had happened and no more changes followed so I wanted to find out more. To do that I needed to make peace with my wolf.
I bought a bunch of herbal remedies and even a piece pipe to prepare myself. When I was ready I tossed back a pound of shrooms and a gallon of LSD. After they started kicked in I burned a pound of weed in a large bowl on the table and had Alice put me in a hypnotic trance.
(The in-between)
In the void between my mind and the wolf's consciousness I stood before the beast. It growled and roared at me, anger and bloodlust surged off of it into me. At first we were still, then it attacked.
I didn't fight it as it tore into me over and over again, letting off its anger and rage. I lost track of time as it gave me all its pain and rage. When it finally stopped my mind and body were a mess. I was only conscious from pure resolve. I hadn't thought I could even get tired.
I pulled myself together before noticing the wolf was right in my face. I pushed its face into mine and I blacked out. I dreamed for the first time in this new life. It was a dream of wolves. I'd taken the place of my wolf for every awful thing that we did or happened to us. I relived it all from my wolf's perspective, trapped in a weaker body only used or let out for strength and protection.
Months, years, centuries and even millenniums passed, still trapped and used. By the end I'd resolved to not let it happen again. At that moment the wolf didn't even give me the option, it fused into every fiber of my being and psyche.
I roared in pain and the voice of an angel pulled us out of the pain, like a safety rope she dragged us back to reality.
(Reality)
Waking to find my head laying on Alice's lap should've been far more pleasant but pain still wracked my whole being. She murmured loving words as I came too. "It's going to be ok, we'll get through this, lover."
I looked at my hands and saw more than just claws, I was in a partial shift from what I could tell. I would've spoke, but my mouth felt wrong, instead I grunted and shifted weakly. She stopped rocking me and stroking my hair before asking. "Are you ok?"
I managed to grunt and shift further, the effort to do so was astronomical. For a second there I thought I'd be like this forever, then as if it was always there I knew how to shift back. I had to let go of the rage that was boiling in my mind.
I closed my eyes and focused, with an ease that would make Buddha cry I let go of my emotional turmoil with a practiced meditation. I'd done something similar for centuries to build my mind scape, in this case though it was more like storing the rage away in a vault.
I should've gone slower because as my body shifted, agony rolled over me as my bones broke and shifted back into place. I held back a scream and opened my eyes as the pain faded. Alice sighed with relief. "Good, you're ok. It's been a month. If you hadn't shifted I'd have thought you died, even your heart stopped beating, it's back now by the way."
I sat up slowly, the pain that lingered was nothing compared to what I'd experienced. "It worked, more than I even wanted. The wolf's gone, or should I say, I am the wolf. We fused and I should be stronger now. No more weakness after a full moon either, in fact, it'll make me even stronger than my usual strength. We'll have to be careful during those days as I could easily hurt even you just from a simple touch then."
Her eyebrows shot up. "That strong?"
I nodded. "I'm the alpha of a species, a progenitor, whatever that means. The wolf only knew it was king and it would be stronger than all challengers. Add that to my vampire strength and I should be able to slaughter newborns like fragile crystal with a swing of my hand on those three days. I'll be stronger on a lunar eclipse and slightly weaker on a solar eclipse. As for a super moon, well, it'll be like giving the hulk steroids."
She snorted and swatted my chest before asking. "What was that transformation you did before?"
I sighed. "A partial shift. It grants me extra strength but not nearly on par with a full moon. It does make me faster and more in tune with my instincts though. It'll make using my nature abilities easier in that form. As nature responds easier to my instincts than my commands."
She nodded slowly and sighed. "Let's get you a shower, you wreak of drugs and sweat."
I chuckled. "Join me?"
She shook her head but still did so when I growled a little, thinking it a turn on. After a 'vigorous washing' I cleaned up and went to the main house with her. The rest of the family looked worried but let me tell them the changes.
Edward looked relieved that Bella didn't need the bracelet anymore. He did however ask me for advice on getting Bella to say yes to marriage. I smiled. "Marriage is a union, an agreed on part by two people in love. You have to compromise in every relationship, but marriage is the ultimate compromise. It's when you both share something of yourselves and walk away together stronger than you went into it."
Everyone agreed with my words that was already married. Edward seemed to pick up on their stray thoughts they leaked out and went with it. He looked to Alice and she shrugged. "Don't look to me for a vision, she has to make a decision before I can see it, though she's going to visit the wolves tonight."
Edward was out the door before she could stop him. I sighed. "Leave it be, we have more worrisome things to deal with. The missing people and deaths in Seattle for one thing."
Everyone turned to me and I sighed. "Someone's building an army, it's up in the air between the Volturi and Victoria at this moment. If the Romanian's know about me they could be behind it as well. They'd want their play thing back if for no other reason than for fleeing instead of attacking the Volturi."
Alice gripped my hand and Carlisle asked. "Do you know how many or why they're doing it?"
I shook my head. "No, but we're the only coven anywhere near this region. We have to assume we're their target."
I turned to Alice. "Don't look at Aro's decision's he knows the ins and outs of your abilities. Look at Jane's and Demetri's. They'd be the ones to act."
She nodded and I turned to Carlisle. "We need to warn the wolves soon. We may need their help to stop the massacre. The newborns may be after us but once they smell warm bodies this town will become a blood bath."
He nodded and went to make the call. Emmett wanted to wrestle but I put it off saying. "I can't control my strength yet, I could seriously hurt you right now. I need a few days to get my body fully under control again."
Emmett went to say he could handle it but Rosalie told him no now. She knew if I was saying no, it meant I really could do serous damage by accident and she didn't want him hurt.
Carlisle came back in and told us. "The tribe has called a council meeting in a week, they want Zach there as our representative. He's to inform them of the full scope of the threat and they wish to speak with him about his, likeness, with their kind."
I snorted but agreed. "Fine, I'll be there, but Alice will come with me. I don't trust them nor do I care for what by blows of my kind get up to."
Carlisle raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
I frowned before thinking on what I'd said. The answers came to me. "They're an off shoot of my kind. The night I first turned my wolf was confused, it felt like it needed a pack and the people were scared and attacking out of fear. It but twelve of them and they killed the rest as a pack, defending themselves. They must've fled when they realized what they'd done because I'd only glimpsed them in passing later on."
I took a deep breath and sighed. "The wolves on the reservation smell of one of the ones I'd turned that night. She must've slept with a tribesman because a bite would've just turned them into more werewolves. The mutation changed in them and they became like they are now, shifters, not true werewolves. More like a weaker offshoot."
Carlisle seemed enlightened. "And could you-"
I shook my head. "The day I turned seventeen my body froze like yours after transition, I can no more sire children than you can. As for turning more humans into werewolves, it's possible when I'm fully or partially shifted. Otherwise the outcome is a vampire bite."
Carlisle looked intrigued. "Fascinating, truly."
I shrugged. "It comes to me as I look for the answers now. But it's limited and most are just impressions and vague senses. It's like trying to figure out what an artist felt from looking at the paintings alone."
Carlisle nodded. "Must be frustrating."
I shrugged. "I can manage. I'm used to the wolf talking the same way."
Emmett asked. "Well, since you're not busy, it's game night then."
Alice snorted. "You're getting the new controllers when he breaks them all."
Emmett barked out a laugh and we went to play. It was a challenge in and of itself to use the controller when the slightest bit of frustration brought on the partial shift and dragged out rage. It was like I had explosive rage issues.
She wasn't joking when I shattered the extra controllers each time I got frustrated and angry. Emmett laughed his ass off and received the broken controllers upside his head. It didn't stop his laughter but it eased the rage enough for me to gain control and shift back.
When we ran out of controllers I spent the rest of the night trying to reign in control of the shift and my anger. The next morning I went to school with Alice. She kept me calm throughout the day while I caught up on work and during lunch she told the group of friends Bella had that she wanted to through a graduation party.
Edward was against it but I told him. "Let's do it, after all how many opportunities do we really get to throw a graduation party?"
He smirked and Bella shrugged. "It was ok last time, even with the mishap."
Alice beamed. "We're going to have so much fun-"
She stopped mid sentence and starred into space. I sighed as I knew a vision hit her. From the look of it Edward was watching it play out as well. When she collected herself, she told the group to spread the word about the party.
We left them and she told me about the vision of Victoria coming to Forks. I spent the next couple days training my control while Edward packed for Florida. After Bella's mom got married they moved there so she'd be using the plane tickets this weekend to visit her. Edward was going as well. That Saturday we arrived at the location Alice saw her and I caught a glimpse of the future as well.
It was of me failing to catch her witch confused me. I partially shifted and waited for her word with the others. I kept trying to force a vision to see a better confrontation making several different choices and each one failed.
Alice finally shouted. "On the left."
I darted into the woods at a speed that would put them in my dust as they tried to catch up. When I caught sight of her I roared and put a burst of speed in, almost catching her but having her dodge at the last second, causing me to trip and miss. I roared as the others caught up and ran ahead again. Emmett almost caught her but she flipped him into a tree. I swiped at her and missed each time, stumbling or even falling at some points.
I used the forest and my nature abilities but each time they either slipped or snapped as they almost caught her. I roared in frustration and when Emmett followed her over into the wolves territory and was stopped by Paul I barreled over and kicked the wolf into a distant tree while running after her.
It barked in pain and the pack chased after me. I continued to follow her to the cliff and when she jumped in I stopped and roared in frustration. The pack circled me and I turned on them roaring and bearing my claws and fanged mouth. They whispered and backed down.
I shifted back in front of them and looked to the injured one I'd kicked. "You stupid little asshole, you know the treaty allows us to come over in times of battle. You cost us the fight you-"
I roared and shifted again charging. The other wolves attacked and pulled ranks to keep me from killing their pack member until Alice arrived. She jumped on my back and buried her head in my neck saying. "Calm down, we'll catch her later love, calm."
I couldn't stay mad even if I wanted to as my body shifted back. I sighed and she kissed my neck. I scowled at the clearly scared wolves and left with her. We went back to where the rest of the family was waiting in our territory. I jumped over the river with her still on my back.
I told them. "She got away. I had a vision she would and looked into it. No matter what I tried she still got away. She has some kind of danger avoidance gift. Like a sixth sense or a limited sight. She's able to avoid getting caught, there must be a weakness to it or she wouldn't keep running."
Carlisle nodded. "Agreed. She played us against each other. How bad is the wolf injured?"
I shrugged. "No clue, if Alice hadn't stopped me I was going to slaughter the rest of them to kill him. I lost all reason until she calmed me down. You may want to offer your services to help fix him and the others I injured. I know I broke more than a few bones. They may not set right with the accelerated healing."
He looked worried but nodded. I sighed. "While it may not help, they're at fault for breaking the treaty. They can't hold my actions against us either as I was in partial shift when I attacked. I'll clear it up at the council meeting Tuesday if nothing else."
He nodded and we left the stream back to the house. Emmett made a few comments about me being a big bad wolf and scaring even the other wolves but I let it go. He found it amusing but personally I didn't even put them in my eyes. They were an off shoot of a pack that abandoned me, their alpha.
They deserved no respect in my eyes and it made me feel off at how comfortable I was with that assessment. I let that go to when Alice caught my attention for a trip to the cabin to blow off some steam and enjoy ourselves.
She was very turned on from my power display and how she was able to control me so easily. It gave her a power kick and decided to break out the black leather and cuffs. She wanted to ride the wave and I gave her a constant tsunami to ride.
We were both sore at some points as we abused each other's sex throughout the night. We had to slow down at several points to let our bodies heal so we could continue. By morning I simply held her in my arms and ignored them mess covering us and the broken handcuffs on my wrists. The leather was worn out and frayed, barely covering her in places and holes in others.
We just lay there listening to my heart beat like a sledgehammer at a steady pace. We got up and cleaned up before heading to to school with the others. When we arrived, Edward was talking to Bella and Jacob. I growled and Jacob turned towards me.
He growled back and I couldn't help thinking that there might be alpha material in him after all. We walked over and he apologized for Paul. I snorted. "Save it for the council meeting. Until then, pretend I'm not even here, I've no interest in your love life problems."
I walked past them and Alice hopped onto my back. She'd apparently found her new favorite vehicle to ride. I headed to the lockers and school began in earnest. Later that evening Edward came to the house and told us he'd stopped by Bella's.
Someone had apparently been in her house and it was another unknown vampire. I frowned. "It must've been the leader of the newborns. Anyone else would've been recognized or would have killed Charlie. Did they take anything?"
Bella nodded. "My red blouse is missing."
I cursed. "They took it to use your scent, Bella you're the target not us. They'll use the blouse to get the newborns to hunt for your scent. This narrows it down a lot. The Romanian's wouldn't have cared and the Volturi wouldn't have sent them after you. Aro wants you like he wants Edward, Alice and I. He collects gifted for the guard."
Carlisle frowned. "That only leaves Victoria. But how did she know about Alice's abilities?"
Bella spoke up. "Laurent came back from Alaska at Victoria's request to kill me when you all left. The wolves killed him."
I turned to Carlisle. "Call Tanya and find out if they told him our abilities. He probably used them for information to feed to James and Victoria and with James dead he must've told Victoria."
Carlisle made the call and when he confirmed it he told them what happened. At first they didn't believe it until I spoke up. "It's true Irina, I don't know if he really was your mate but he used you to find out our strengths and weaknesses. Victoria must've turned someone to make the decisions because Alice can't see them. All the proof you need is in the Seattle news. They're building an army to attack us so Victoria can kill Bella because she believes Edward is responsible for killing her mate, James."
The phone went quiet and I could hear her barely audible crying. Tanya took over the phone again. "We'll be there in three days to help set things right. If you're to fight an army because of us, we can at least stand with you."
I shook my head and Carlisle told her. "That won't be necessary, the local shifter tribe will be there to help us. We'll keep you apprised of the situation. Let us know if you hear word of the Volturi acting as they should've long sense acted by now. We think they may use this opportunity to weaken our coven so they can take our gifted after the battle."
She sneered and cursed the Volturi for a while before agreeing. The next problem was how to act because we had to guard Bella and Charlie while trying to catch Victoria and keeping an eye on the army of vampires while Alice watched for Everyone's decisions and hunt on the side to keep everyone fed.
Bella agreed with Edward's consent to go with Jacob to the tribal lands. That way we only had to watch Charlie and perhaps even the wolves would help with that. The next day Alice and I took off school and went to the council meeting. Bella was left with Jacob after Edward dropped her off because she wasn't there for the meeting.
When we arrived the pack became agitated and angry because Alice was with me. When Paul turned I told them coldly. "You'd better reign him in because I'd kill every one of you before you were able to harm her. She's here because this is vampire and wolf business and I asked her to be here as my mate."
Sam took control of the situation as sent Paul packing. I ignored the rest as we went to the council members sitting around the fire. I pulled the peace pipe out of my inner coat pocket and loaded it as I sat down on the log.
I told them. "Long ago, before even your small tribe got started, I learned the duties of the shaman, the spiritual leaders of my people. You may think because I'm white I'm lying or making fun of your culture but you'd be wrong. You see, every culture and village back then had spiritual leaders. Some believed in gods, some called them spirits, others ghost and so on. They all shared one thing though, to contact them for guidance and to settle disputes, a pipe much like this was used. It settled may fights and battles."
I lit it and took a hit before passing it to the elder closest to me. I released the breath and told them. "It is sacred and to cause more disputes while using it was punishable by death. You have nothing to fear, it's safe, I give my word."
The elder took it and took a hit. He started a coughing fit and I chuckled. "Well, relatively anyway. Not many can hold there own with hash this good."
The leader, Billy Black chuckled and took a hit while the elder coughed. They passed it around and after Alice received it and took a hit I grabbed it saying. "There, now we can begin. Your people broke the treaty once more."
I took another hit and passed it. After the elder took a hit he said. "You injured him well enough and many others besides."
I nodded and Black took a hit. "We wish to call it even, but we fear you have other motives now."
Each elder from there on listed their concerns up to and including Alice being here. When she took a hit she told them. "I'm here for support of my mate and to calm him in the case that this meeting fails. It's the only thing that will save your lives from him."
She passed it to me and I sighed and took a hit. "The one that got away is building an army to attack us, they're after Bella Swan."
I passed the pipe and the elder hit it before asking. "How do we know your words hold water?"
"Because Seattle is where the army is being built."
We turned to see Jacob and Bella there. Jacob was the one to speak and I growled. "You have no place here boy, go play with the kids."
My eyes went green and Billy spoke up as he grabbed the pipe in a hurry. "Let my Son speak, he's a member of the warriors and I grant him special privileges."
I frowned and nodded my consent. Bella and Jacob sat down until she noticed my angry stare. She got back up and stood away for a bit while Jacob took the pipe and spoke. "I give-"
I growled and Billy shook his head. "Only full elders or the previously invited can invite others."
Jacob frowned but took a hit and continued his story of what Bella told him and he looked up. It was considered rude to say so much at once but I didn't stop him. Once he was done, he passed it to the next elder who told him to leave until tonight's festivities or watch but be silent.
The elder asked after taking a hit. "How do we fight this new army?"
He passed it on and the next elder asked. "Why does it concern us?"
More questions along those lines were asked and when it was Alice's turn she took a hit and looked to me, I nodded and she spoke. "If they do manage to kill us, the newborns will go after any and all humans in the area, it'll be a bloodbath."
I took it and told them. "I'll run a sparing session to show you what to watch out for and how to beat them. My family will be the ones to practice. You're welcome to send your wolves to watch and observe. Perhaps it may save some of their lives."
I passed it on and the elder shook his head, handing it to Billy who took a hit. "We'll send them to learn from you. Call a meeting with your leader, we will make a pact to act as one till the threat is dealt with."
I nodded and he concluded the council by setting the pipe down instead of continuing. I pulled out my phone and called Carlisle. The meeting was set and I stood up to leave. Billy spoke up. "Stay, we wish to hear your story and share our own."
I turned to Alice and she nodded so we sat back down. Billy whistles and the wolves came running, figuratively of course. I turned to Bella saying. "Sorry for the look but it's custom and very bad manners bordering on insult to crash a peace meeting. Back in my day it would mean battle at the very least between the offender and the offended. I doubt you'd want to fight me over it and my family would be crushed if I killed you."
Her eyes went wide and she turned to Jacob. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Jacob looked fit punched. "I forgot, the old customs are never used any more and I never really paid attention to them."
Billy scowled. "The young and their forgetfulness. Sometimes I wander if we're doomed to repeat our mistakes."
The elders chuckled and scolded the youngsters. One of the wolves asked. "How old are you? You look our age."
I chuckled. "I'm over three thousand years old. Actually I'm much older than that but we didn't have a calendar back then. Christ hadn't been born so there was no BC or AD yet and time for an immortal isn't the same as for humans. I tried keeping count for awhile but it got depressing."
Even the elders were stunned by my words much less the young wolves. The youngest of which asked Alice. "Are you just as old?"
She laughed and shook her head. "No, I'm actually barely a century old. I was born in 1901. I didn't actually know that for most of my life because humans had deemed my visions insanity and fried my brain with electroshock therapy. If the vampire that turned me hadn't done so I'd have been a vegetable and long dead by now."
I rubbed her back in comfort while Sam asked me. "How were you turned and what are you. No vampire has those abilities or can turn into a wolf, much less has power over us like that. It's like you were the alpha instead of me."
I sighed and shook my head. "Let's hear your tribes story before I tell mine because mine is a long tale."
Billy seemed to agree so he began.
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