Time seemed to stand still as Edward and I stood on the curb outside Bella's house, neither of us talking. The conversation from last night kept replaying in my head as we stared anxiously at the front door; even though the Cullens and the wolf pack were on better terms, Edward was a little uneasy to involve the pack. He brought up his concern about telling the wolves as soon as he read my mind, causing Bella to roll her eyes and tell him to stop being jealous.

The look of shock on Edward's face as Bella had stormed past him to step outside and call Jacob herself had mirrored everyone else's expressions. Things didn't seem to have gotten better this morning by the time Jacob had pulled into the driveway; even he kept some distance from the couple.

A wary half-smirk tugged at the corners of Edward's lips and I knew he heard my thoughts. Before I could speak, he stood straight, his eyes locked on the door. A moment passed before Bella stepped onto the porch, Jacob right behind her.

"Whoever it was, he left his scent behind." Jacob looked directly at Edward who met them halfway up the walk. "It won't be hard to miss when we cross his path again. How do you want to handle patrols?"

"Jacob, you know you don't have to do that," Edward said, shaking his head. Jacob snorted in response.

"Your girl isn't the only one at stake, Cullen. We can take the night patrols, it'll be easier for us to be in wolf form then."

"Is your family okay with the day shift?" Bella asked Edward, her concerned tone softening his facial features slightly.

"Yes, that works for us."

"Good. It's settled then." Bella linked her arm through mine and led me away from the guys, both watching us with guarded expressions. "We have to discuss what our plan is; do we stay home, or do we spend some time in La Push?"

"I think some time in La Push would be good," I chewed on my bottom lip, casting a glance over my shoulder at Jacob. "It might make things a little less... stressful, especially for Edward and Jacob. They're really worried about us, and honestly, I get it."

"I do too," Bella sighed before stopping on the sidewalk and turning back around. "Anytime you go, I'll go too. If we stay together, then your stalker and my stalker won't be able to attack us alone."

"Deal."

"Jacob just told me that there's a party in La Push tonight. I think you should go," Edward wrapped his arm around Bella and kissed the top of her head. "I can drop you off at the treaty line around six if you'd like to spend some time with me before you go."

"That sounds great. Will you be okay?" Bella asked me. I nodded, shifting closer to the warmth radiating from Jacob's body.

"I'll see you in a few hours. I have to stop by the bakery for a while, Mom has a big order to fulfill by tonight."

"Remind me to thank her again for helping the tribal council tonight," Jacob murmured in my ear, his arm slipping around my waist.

"We probably should go," I glanced at my watch. "Be careful, both of you. I know I don't have to say that to you, Edward, being a vampire and all. But you're as much family as Bella is, and I can't stand the thought of something happening to you."

"I know, Leaf." Edward smiled warily before he pulled me into a hug. "You stay safe too."

With one last wave, Edward and Bella left in the Volvo while Jacob held the door to his car open for me, his eyes sweeping the area. Uneasiness settled into the pit of my stomach and didn't disappear even when we parked in front of the bakery ten minutes later. Mom was behind the counter ringing up a customer when I pushed the door open, her body visibly relaxing when she realized it was me. The haunted look in her eyes slipped into genuine happiness and my heart shattered in my chest as I realized how much she had aged over the last few weeks.

There were dark bags under her eyes that even her makeup couldn't cover up; I knew it was from exhaustion. She had been checking on me every night since my tires had been slashed in Jacob's driveway, even though she didn't know I knew about her sneaking into my room and crying as she sat on the edge of my bed. I felt awful the first night I woke up to her sobbing, I couldn't bring myself to say something the next morning before school.

"Ah, Leaf! There you are. Would you mind starting on the chocolate chip cookies?" Mom asked as she finished bagging the desserts she rang up. "Everything's already on the counter in the back."

"Sure thing, Mom. Do you mind keeping her company out here?" I asked Jacob, who was already heading over to the table closest to the counter.

"Got it." He smiled at me before striking up a conversation with Mom after the customer left.

Grabbing one of my aprons from the supply closet, I quickly tied it around my waist and got to work on the cookies, allowing the whir of the mixer to lull my mind away from stress.

By the time we had to go to La Push, Mom and I had the desserts finished and ready to go in the back of Mom's SUV. After double-checking that nothing was missed, Mom locked up the bakery and we walked to the vehicles parked out front.

"I'll see you at the bonfire," Mom said as she unlocked the SUV. "Don't worry about the desserts, Sam and Paul already offered to help unload them once I get there."

"We'll be there as soon as Edward drops Bella off at the treaty line," I told her. "Chloe should be out from the diner any second now."

"I'm here!" Chloe called out from the entrance, holding the door open for an elderly couple. "I'm ready to go!"

"Okay then. See you guys soon. And tell Edward I said hello," Mom waved before driving off.

"Bella just texted me," I turned to Jacob, "she says they're leaving the meadow right now."

"We should get going then. Knowing Edward, he probably drives like a madman." Jacob chuckled darkly, his eyes clearly amused at his secret joke.

"I know that look. Don't even think of it, Jacob." I shook my head. "Knowing the two of you, it won't end well."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Jacob gave me a lopsided grin, weaving down the road.

"Mhm. Sure."

We got to the treaty line before Edward and Bella, who showed up about five minutes later. Jacob and I got out of the car, Bella waving to me before she turned to Edward to say goodbye. Edward pulled Bella toward him for a passionate kiss, catching Bella off guard. As he pulled away from her, I could see the amusement in his eyes.

"Hey, beautiful!" I smiled and wrapped my best friend in a hug once she was close enough. "How was your day?"

"It was... intense." She whispered. "The Cullens are worried."

"I know."

I released Bella and we turned to watch Edward drive away, the tires squealing in the process. Jacob opened up the passenger doors for us, a smile on his lips.

"What do you guys want to do today? Bike, hike, hang? Whatever you want, but we have to leave for the bonfire in a few hours."

"Actually, let's go help set up," I told him. "Chloe hasn't met everyone yet, and I want to see Emily before tonight. I have some questions for her about Giuliana."

"Are we ever going to talk about what happened at school the other day?" Jacob murmured after a long pause. I glanced over my shoulder to Bella and Chloe, who were lost in their own conversation, and shook my head.

"Not until I talk to Emily."

"Okay." Jacob squeezed my hand reassuringly. "Let's go see Emily."

When we arrived at Jacob's house, we could see some of the pack being directed by Mom and Sue. Sam and Paul were carrying boxes of desserts into the house as Embry and Quil were setting up a pile of firewood near the bonfire.

"Yo, Jake! Come help move these trunks!" Embry called out when he spotted us.

"Have you seen Emily?" Jacob hollered back.

"Kitchen," Quil replied, pointing to the house. "She's waiting for you, Leaf!"

"Thanks, Quil!" I waved, turning toward the house. Emily was in the kitchen, waiting for me just as Quil said; she was pulling apart barbeque pork into a pot while Billy was at the table, keeping her company.

"Autumn! I was wondering when you were going to come to see me." Emily beamed. "I heard what happened with Noah. How are you feeling?"

"A little baffled," I admitted as I sat across from Billy. "Maybe you can help me understand what happened?"

"Let me guess," Billy spoke, his eyes twinkling with kindness. "The wind became more aggressive and you could feel the electricity running through your veins."

"Yes."

"Has that happened before?"

"No. At least, not that I can remember."

"Could it be...?" Emily looked at Billy, her eyebrows furrowed as she paused what she doing.

"What?" I asked, looking from Emily to Billy and back. "Could it be what?"

"I'm not sure. We'll have to wait and see," Billy answered Emily before turning to me. "Magic. The same kind of magic that flows in the blood of our tribe, that allows the males to turn to werewolves when vampires are near. Giuliana's magic runs in your blood..."

"Because you've been imprinted on by a Quileute werewolf, your magic may be awakening in the same sense," Emily added. "We cannot say for sure, since the last Quileute witch was Giuliana."

"Is there any way I can prepare myself? To control it?" I asked, leaning forward on my elbows. "If I have an emotional outburst like the pack does in their first months of transformation, am I going to hurt someone accidentally? Like... like Sam did?"

"Giuliana's journals are your best way to learn. She wrote down everything, journal after journal. The tribal elders have found a number of those journals, Sue is collecting them at her house." Billy told me. "She'll pass them on to your mom once she has all of them."

"As for the emotional outburst, it is a possibility that someone could accidentally get hurt. That's always a possibility when it comes to magic. But we're here to help make sure that doesn't happen, we're here to help you learn and control." Emily smiled warmly.

"That makes me feel a little better." I paused, thinking about my next question. "What was Giuliana's magic like?"

"She was powerful," Billy said thoughtfully, "powerful enough to invoke the elements when she needed to. Her magic came out of her in bursts of blue, the color of her mother's eyes. Depending on the type of magic, and the emotional situation, the shade of blue would come out a beautiful royal blue or as clear as a Caribbean blue lagoon."

"She was a good woman. She loved her family and the pack, she learned her craft and she did what she had to in order to protect herself and the pack." Billy continued after a few moments. "Giuliana was a true Quileute, inside and out."

"Thank you," I murmured, offering a small smile. "I wish I could've met her. I have so many questions, so many... it's nice that I have her journals, but it's not the same as having her in person."

"I know what you mean." Emily patted my shoulder. "Will you help me bring out the food? Those boys will storm the house if they don't eat soon."

After the food had been served, the pack members broke off in smaller groups, talking and laughing as the sun had set and the moon took its place. Sam and Paul had started the bonfire during dinner, which now roared with life as Billy sat at the natural head of the circle; Quil's grandfather sat to the left of Billy while Sue sat on the right, the three council leaders surveying the pack as they formed a circle around the fire.

"Are you sure it's a good idea for us to be here?" Chloe whispered as Jacob led us back to the fire from the house. "This doesn't exactly look like a party anymore."

"Technically, it's a Council meeting." Jacob nodded. "They thought it would be a good idea for you to hear the histories."

"But I thought outsiders weren't allowed to hear the tribe's histories?" Bella asked, her brows knitting together in confusion.

"That's true. But Sue convinced the rest of the tribe that because Autumn was part of the pack, then her two friends should be included as well. My dad agreed with her, especially since there's the issue of Bella being targeted. Besides, it's also the first time Seth, Leah, and Quil are hearing them too."

"Hey, Jake!"

Seth's voice interrupted whatever Jacob was going to say next, the boy bouncing over to us from the group. Jacob grinned at the sight of him.

"I saved some marshmallows and stuff for you guys; Paul's been eyeing them for a while."

"Good looking out, little bro." Jacob motioned toward him. "Bella, Chloe, this is Seth Clearwater, Leah's brother and the newest member of the pack."

"Newest, bestest, brightest." Seth said teasingly.

"And slowest," Jacob said, putting Seth into a headlock and messing up his hair before he let Seth go. "Seth, this is Bella and Chloe, Autumn's friend from her old hometown."

"So, you're the famous Chloe." Seth grinned, pulling her into a tight hug. "My sister won't shut up about you."

"That would be me." Chloe laughed, hugging him back. A whistle broke through the chilled air, ending the introductions.

"Your dad's about to start." Seth spun around and made his way back to the group, a wide grin plastered on his face as he waited eagerly to hear the stories of the pack.

"The Quileutes have been a small tribe from the beginning..." Billy's voice rang out as we reached the bonfire, a knowing smile on his face as he watched Chloe blush under Leah's gaze. "But we've always had magic in our blood. We were great spirit warriors... Shapeshifters, that transform into the powerful wolf. This enabled us to scare off our enemies and protect our tribe. One day, our warriors came across a creature..."

The flames flickered to life as Billy's words sunk in, the air charged with the magic he spoke of. Billy's voice continued, strong and commanding, as the story played out in my mind; the pack and my surroundings fading into the background as I closed my eyes briefly, feeling the heat of the flames against my skin.

Two Quileute warriors in human form emerge from the trees, horrified to find a male vampire dressed in the clothes of a mid-1700s Spaniard bent over two lifeless tribe girls. His eyes are blood red, feral. A terrifying image as he glared at the warriors, his stance defensive.

"It looked like a man, but it was hard like stone and cold as ice..."

The two warriors phase into wolves and charge the vampire. He grabs one of them, strangling him. The second wolf gets his teeth into the vampire's neck and tears off his head. But the strangled wolf falls dead to the ground.

"Our warriors' sharp teeth, finally tore it apart... But only fire would completely destroy it."

The grim tone of Billy's voice sparked a silent shudder in me, and I glanced toward the girls to see if they were affected as I was. Bella's expression was somber, her eyes locked on Billy as she listened to him; Chloe's expression was mixed with horror and curiosity, her body shivering despite the warmth of the fire. Billy continued on.

"They lived in fear that the Cold Man was not alone. And they were right."

A beautiful Vampiress in a tattered 1700's Spanish gown, moves through the Quileute village of long houses and teepees. A trail of dead bodies; tribes-people screaming as the Vampiress tears through flesh and limbs.

"She took her vengeance out on the village. Our elder chief, Taha Aki, was the only spirit warrior left to save the tribe after his son was killed."

Taha Aki, the tribe's chief in his 60's – anguished, stands over his dead son, 20. His Third Wife, 40's, weeps inconsolably next to his body. Taha Aki spins toward the vampires and takes a running lunge at the Vampiress, transforming into a great wolf. Their bodies clash and The Third Wife watches with horror as the Vampiress quickly gets the upper hand.

"Taha Aki's Third Wife could see that he would lose..."

The Third Wife pulls out a knife and runs toward the Vampiress, who barely acknowledges the impending attack.

Over the fire, I watched as Billy turned his attention to Bella, his eyes dark as he spoke about the Third Wife. His next words left an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach as the realization of the meaning behind the story dawned on me. I chewed on my bottom lip anxiously, struggling with my thoughts as Billy finished the story.

"The Third Wife was no magical being, no special powers, but one... Courage."

The Third Wife charges the Vampiress, dagger raised high – but as she nears, shockingly, she plunges the knife into her own heart. Blood flowers on her chest. The Vampiress catches the scent and spins toward her, ravenous.

"The Third Wife's sacrifice distracted the Cold Woman, long enough for Taha Aki to destroy her. She saved the tribe."

As the Taha Aki-wolf leaps onto the Vampiress, tearing her apart, the Third Wife lay dying, her expression at peace...

"Over time, our enemies have disappeared. But one remains... The Cold Ones. Our magic awakens when they are near. And we sense it now, we feel the threat in our blood. Something terrible is coming. And we must all be ready. All of us."