บท 8: New Members and Family Matters
Chapter 7: New Members and Family Matters
Hours had passed since the Quileute Reservation had learned of the Cullens' arrival. This news had begun to spread through the tribe, and with it, the effects of the vampiric presence were not long in coming. Sam Uley was the first to feel the change. His body began to transform, but not into the same colossal beast as Ethan. Instead, he became the type of wolf that the Quileutes had known for generations, large and strong, but without Ethan's primitive fury.
Ethan, aware that this was just the beginning, sought out Sam. He knew what he was going through; he had lived it himself. Upon finding him, he saw Sam trembling, his eyes filled with confusion and fear.
"Sam," Ethan said in a firm voice, approaching him. "Breathe. Control your anger. You are part of something bigger now, but you are not alone in this."
Sam, struggling to maintain control, tried to attack Ethan, but it was in vain. Ethan, with superhuman strength, knocked him to the ground and subdued him with ease. His power as alpha was evident.
"I am your alpha, Sam," Ethan said, with an authoritative calm. "And I will teach you to control this. You don't have to do it alone."
Sam, panting and exhausted, finally yielded to Ethan's leadership. He looked at him with respect and reverence. He knew that Ethan was much more than just a wolf; he was a leader, a protector.
With Sam under his command, Ethan knew that the pack was destined to grow. The arrival of the Cullens was just the beginning, and peace in Forks hung by a thread.
It wasn't long before others began to transform. Jared Cameron and Paul Lahote were the ones who followed the same path as Sam, finding themselves with a power they could barely control.
However, while Ethan prepared to train these wolves, there was something he couldn't get out of his head, Rosalie.
Although weeks had passed since their first encounter, he couldn't stop thinking about her. Her image was engraved in his mind, and no matter how hard he tried to focus on his duties as alpha, his mind returned again and again to the vampire.
What Ethan didn't know was that, on the other side, Rosalie was also thinking about him. Although she had never seen him in his human form, her mind turned to the wolf more and more often. And each time she did, the feeling grew stronger, more confusing.
A few days after Ethan began training all the new wolves, at Billy Black's house, the sound of tools echoed from the garage, where Jacob was finishing adjusting the wheels of a bicycle. As he worked, he couldn't help but think about his older brother. Since Ethan's transformation, things had changed. They no longer spent as much time together, and when they did, it was evident that Ethan was more reserved, more distant. He seemed more focused on other matters, and surrounding himself with new friends like Sam, Jared, Paul and all of them had changed in recent weeks, and although Jacob didn't mention it, he was beginning to feel that something similar awaited him too.
"Dad, I think Ethan has changed," Jacob commented one afternoon while they shared a simple dinner in the kitchen. Billy, who had been concentrating on his plate, looked up. He knew this conversation would come at some point, but he wasn't ready to face it completely yet.
"What do you mean?" he asked, although he already knew what his son meant.
Jacob frowned, setting his fork aside.
"He's not the same, Dad. He's with Sam and the others all the time. He's distancing himself from us. It's like he has another group now... another family."
Billy sighed deeply, looking at his son with a mixture of understanding and concern. He knew Jacob didn't fully understand what was happening, but he would soon.
"Your brother has had to take on a lot of responsibilities in a short time, Jake," Billy said seriously, but maintaining a calm air. "He… is destined for greater things, and he has to protect his own. And don't worry, he will always be your brother, but now he has another role to fulfill."
Jacob wasn't entirely satisfied with the answer. He knew his father was hiding something from him, but before he could continue the conversation, they heard the sound of a car approaching.
Charlie Swan parked his patrol car in front of the Black house and got out with a tired but sincere smile. He greeted Billy with a wave of his hand as he approached the porch.
"Billy!" Charlie said in his typical friendly tone. "I came to talk to you about something."
Billy smiled, knowing perfectly well what Charlie wanted to tell him. He had been waiting for this conversation for a long time.
"Charlie, old friend, how can I help you?" Billy asked, moving his wheelchair closer to the porch.
"Well, Bella is going to come live with me. She's a little nervous about the change, but I think it will do her good. I thought it would be good for her to have her own car, and I remembered that old truck you have. I wanted to know if you'd like to sell it."
Jacob, who had been listening to the conversation from the garage, quickly came out to the porch, excited at the idea of seeing Bella again. It had been two years since he had seen her, as last year for the holidays he had a summer camp and couldn't see her at that time, and although he didn't mention it, he had always enjoyed spending time with her.
"I can fix it!" Jacob said enthusiastically. "That truck just needs a little work and it will be good as new."
Charlie laughed, delighted with Jacob's energy.
"I knew I could count on you, Jake. I'll be very happy for Bella to have it."
As they talked, Charlie looked around, as if he were looking for someone else.
"Hey, I haven't seen Ethan in a while," he commented, half-jokingly, as he adjusted his sunglasses on the collar of his shirt. "I guess he's too busy to hang around here, huh?"
Billy, quick to change the subject, let out a laugh and patted Charlie's leg in a friendly gesture.
"Oh, Ethan's around, always busy with something, you know how young people are. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll see him soon."
Just then, as if fate had planned it, Ethan appeared on the dirt road, his imposing figure standing out against the setting sun. He had been running in his human form to clear his mind after several days of intense training with the new pack. His body was covered in a light layer of sweat, but his gait was calm, almost feline.
Charlie saw him and smiled, raising his hand in greeting.
"There he is!" he exclaimed. "How have you been, Ethan?"
Ethan returned the smile, although it was more of a polite expression than a genuine one.
"Good, Charlie. Just keeping busy."
Jacob watched his brother as he approached, noticing the way his muscles tensed and relaxed with each step. He seemed more... wild, more in control of an energy that Jacob was just beginning to understand.
Billy noticed Jacob's gaze and decided to intervene before the questions continued.
"Well, Charlie, we better talk about the truck. Jacob can start working on it tomorrow morning, if that works for you."
While the adults continued to discuss the details, Jacob couldn't take his eyes off his older brother. He knew something else was going on, something everyone seemed to know except him. And deep down, although he wouldn't admit it out loud, he was also worried about what that "something" might mean for his own future
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