(Mike)
Everyone slowly began heading back toward the cars, or directly to their homes if they walked, the fire dying down to glowing embers. I was about to follow Leah and Seth when Harry stepped up in front of me, expression serious.
"Mike, could you stay back for a moment?"
Leah immediately tightened her grip on my hand. "Dad…"
"This is council business," Harry said gently but firmly. "It won't take long, and it's nothing bad. You don't need to worry."
Leah still looked like she very much wanted to worry. I squeezed her hand, gave her my car keys, and nodded toward the parking lot.
"I'll be right there. Go warm up the car."
She hesitated, but finally walked off. Seth, on the other hand, got dragged away by Sue like a criminal caught escaping prison. I heard him yelp something about injustice before he disappeared down the trail.
When I turned back around, only seven of us remained.
The three Elders: Quil Ateara Sr., Harry himself, and Billy Black, current Chief. Along with the pack members Sam, Jared, and Paul.
A nice little audience.
"Alright," I said, folding my arms. "What's all this about?"
Billy rolled slightly closer in his wheelchair, posture straightening. "We heard you also carry the wolf gene."
"Yep. Black family line." I shrugged. "Dorothy Black, Ephraim's older sister, was my great-grandmother."
Billy nodded once, absorbing that. "But you're not part of the pack?"
"Nope. And I'm not really sure how that's supposed to work. Maybe it's because I don't feel connected to the tribe? Or… something like that."
"It could be," Billy murmured, thoughtful.
Old Quil leaned forward, eyes sharp. "We also heard you told Harry's daughter."
"Of course I did," I said immediately. "I tell Leah everything."
"But she is not your imprint," Quil pressed.
"No, she isn't. Is that a problem?"
Quil inhaled as if preparing a lecture, but Harry cut him off, fixing me with a hard stare.
"Son… the rules say only the council, pack members, and their imprints can be told the truth. But you didn't know, so…"
"Oh," I interrupted, scratching my cheek. "Well, even if I did know the rules, Leah would've found out eventually." I paused. "Since she's also starting to phase."
That hit them like a bomb.
"What?!" Harry's voice cracked.
Sam stiffened.
Paul stopped chewing on his gum.
Even Billy blinked.
"That's not possible," Harry growled, shaking his head. "Women don't transform."
"Looks like they can," I said. "She's showing all the signs: anger spikes, well, more than usual, increased strength, higher temperature… all of it."
Harry collapsed back into his seat.
The whole group exchanged baffled, unsettled looks, as if someone had just told them the sky wasn't blue anymore.
Billy finally regained his voice. "If that's truly the case, we'll need to keep an eye on her. Make sure she has support when the time comes. Don't worry, Harry, Leah won't go through this alone."
Sam stepped forward. "I'll help her in every way I…"
"Thanks," I cut in politely, "but she already has me. That's all she needs."
Sam's jaw clenched, but he didn't say anything.
Harry exhaled heavily, then looked at me with narrowed eyes.
"If she's not your imprint… why are you still with my daughter? And who is your imprint?"
Ah, the fun question.
I debated lying for a whole two seconds, then shrugged. Whatever, this wasn't something I needed to hide.
"My imprint is Bella Swan. Charlie Swan's daughter."
Every man in the circle froze. Even Paul.
"And as for why I'm with Leah?" I added. "Because I love her. Obviously."
"That shouldn't be possible," Billy said slowly.
"Maybe not," I said. "But Bella and I are just friends. Yeah, I'm protective of her, but that doesn't mean I'm in love with her. Imprinting or not."
(And I definitely wasn't about to mention her dating a Cullen. No need to start a supernatural civil war tonight.)
Harry's expression softened, almost painfully. He looked at me like I'd grown ten feet taller. Then he turned that same expression toward Sam… except colder. Much colder.
He was definitely thinking along the lines of: if Mike could do it, why couldn't Sam do the same?
"So," I asked, "is that everything?"
"Almost," Billy said. "We understand that even if you aren't part of the pack, we can't keep you out of our territory. All we ask is that you respect our customs… and keep our secrets."
"Of course," I said. "I'm not looking to expose anyone."
Billy nodded.
"Oh, by the way," I added casually, as if I were mentioning I'd forgotten to buy milk. "I kind of told my parents."
That stopped everyone cold.
Harry winced. Sam frowned. Paul froze mid–eye roll. Billy blinked very slowly.
"I mean," I went on, lifting a hand, "I wasn't planning to tell them. At all. But… uh… I got into a bit of trouble with some vampires. The same ones who killed Waylon Forge."
All eyes sharpened instantly.
"I killed two of them," I said, "but one got away. So I figured my parents should know something for safety reasons."
A heavy silence fell over the council clearing. Even the breeze shut up.
All of them turned toward Billy, waiting for the verdict.
Billy exhaled through his nose, thoughtful, but not angry. "If that's the situation," he said slowly, "we can't fault you. Not when lives are at risk."
The others nodded reluctantly, but understanding nonetheless.
Sam stepped forward then, shoulders squared. "Do you need help tracking the vampire?" he asked, voice grim, ready for a fight.
I considered it for a heartbeat. Not because I wanted their help, but because they needed to know who, or what, might wander into their territory. Victoria didn't care about borders in the books, and I doubted she'd care now.
"That won't be necessary," I said. "You guys just focus on your land. I already have a deal with the Cullens."
That sentence sucked all the oxygen out of the air.
Billy stiffened. Harry's brows crashed together. Sam bristled like someone had stepped on his tail. Jared and Paul both opened their mouths, ready to warn me, lecture me, or yell something dramatic.
I cut them off before they could.
"I know you don't trust them," I said firmly. "But they're good people. They're helping me track the one who escaped."
Their expressions didn't soften, but they at least stopped hovering on the edge of panic.
"The problem," I continued, "is that she has some kind of supernatural danger sense. She can tell when someone's planning to attack her. Makes it almost impossible to catch her."
"What does she look like?" Sam asked, already strategizing.
"Crazy redhead. Really long curly hair. Moves fast. If you ever run into her, the only way you're catching her is if you surround her completely, leaving no gaps, not a single opening. She'll bolt the second she senses danger."
Sam's eyes narrowed. "And what about you, can you deal with her alone?"
I nodded. "Yeah. She knows that. Which is why she's keeping as far away from me as possible."
A collective, uneasy silence followed. They were processing; Victoria, the Cullens, the deal I had, the fact that I'd already fought and killed vampires… all of it.
Billy finally spoke again, slow and solemn. "We'll be vigilant. And… thank you for telling us, Mike."
I shrugged. "Figured you should know."
But inside, I knew this revelation would ripple through the pack for days.
And with that, the meeting was over.
Now I could finally go rescue Leah from freezing inside my crappy car heater, though since she's phasing, maybe she won't even feel the cold.
…
(Harry)
"Well, that is troubling," Billy muttered, the lines around his eyes tightening. He wasn't one to show fear easily, but the weight in his voice settled heavily between us.
"Indeed," I agreed quietly. "But… I'm thankful two of Waylon's killers are dead. He was a friend."
My throat tightened a little saying it. Waylon had been rough around the edges, but he didn't deserve what happened to him.
Old Quil snorted irritably, leaning forward on his walking stick. "That kid shouldn't be dealing with the Cullens. They can't be trusted. Parasites, the lot of them."
I felt the familiar argument boiling, but Billy cut in before Quil could start a full rant.
"They haven't broken the treaty," Billy said calmly, though his eyes flickered with something sharper. "So until they prove otherwise, we trust they'll continue respecting it."
Then he turned toward the pack, toward Sam, Jared, and Paul, his tone shifting to the one he used when he meant business.
"Still. Trust doesn't mean we become careless. Keep an eye on the border."
Sam nodded immediately, jaw set. "We'll take turns patrolling more frequently. With what Mike said… we can't leave anything to chance."
He hesitated, gaze drifting briefly toward the trees.
"It would be easier if the pack was bigger…" he added under his breath.
Paul huffed a humorless laugh. "Well, Leah'll be joining soon. That'll give us extra help."
A sharp pain moved through my chest. I knew it was true, knew the signs well enough, but hearing it said aloud:
My daughter. My little girl. A wolf.
I exhaled slowly, shoulders sinking. "I just wish it didn't have to be like that," I said, voice rougher than I intended. "I don't like the idea of her risking her life."
Sam looked down. Jared shifted uncomfortably. Even Paul's usual attitude disappeared.
Nobody wanted a girl in the pack. Not because she couldn't handle it, Leah was stronger than most grown men, but because we all knew what the wolf life cost. Anger. Pain. Responsibility. The loss of normalcy.
Billy's face softened, but only slightly. "None of us want it, Harry. But if there's truly a vampire causing trouble…" He shook his head. "We'll need every hand we can get."
My fists tightened against my thighs. I hated that he was right. I hated that this was our reality again. The old legends we told around bonfires weren't supposed to be warnings anymore.
But danger had returned, sharp-toothed and merciless.
And my own daughter was going to be right in the middle of it.
…