Finding Truth Behind Legends
by Wizardtho
Chapter 01:
Life after we returned from Italy was, to say the least, not the same as before Edward left me. I didn't think it would be. Too much had been said... his leaving had broken something inside me that I didn't think could be fixed by mere words.
We tried to reconcile... truly we did. Things were even good between us for a while, but Edward and I were nowhere near as close as it felt we had been before he left. Our major points of contention were the wolves and my mortality, which was nothing new. I refused to give up my friendships with Jake and the pack, while he refused to change me so that we could truly be together.
It was when he asked me to marry him, while in the same breath still refusing to make me like him, that I knew there could never be a future for us. My mind was made. I refused Edward's proposal, telling him that if he couldn't see an eternity for us together, there was no way we could marry. I would only ever marry once; I refused to live in a marriage without acting as true husband and wife, with no real intimacy. That couldn't happen if he denied me the right to be like him, since my scent was still difficult for him to deal with when we were close.
I broke off my relationship with Edward a month before the end of senior year. He had asked me for time when I stated my reasons for refusing his proposal. We stayed together while trying to come to a final agreement, but he was no closer to agreeing to anything I wanted in all that time.
He wanted my human life, not an eternity with me, yet he didn't seem to care that there would be no true marriage there. I couldn't budge on my beliefs, so I finally put an end to his tries at compromising, his pleading, and even his assurances that we would be able to be intimate at some point in our marriage, once he was fully able to immunize himself of my scent.
Throughout all of this, my wolf family still accepted me. They hadn't turned their backs on me once the Cullens had breezed back into town. Maybe that was because I hadn't given up time with them to spend it with Edward. I still went to bonfires and barbecues, still spent time with Jake in the garage, and never missed an opportunity to help Emily in the kitchen when there was a house full. It pissed Edward off royally that I was ‘putting myself in danger’ around them, but he kept his feelings mostly to himself, knowing I wouldn't change my mind where they were concerned.
Once I had broken off my relationship with Edward, I knew I needed to make a change just for myself. My life now needed a new direction, so I started thinking about what I truly wanted that life to consist of.
I had heard of different tribes that still had the ability to turn into their spirit animals from the pack. For some reason, the Blackfeet Reservation stuck with me. I don't know whether it was because Charlie's Gran was supposedly from near there or not, but I was always interested in hearing more about them from Sam and the pack.
When I was sure of my decision, around graduation, I got the nerve up to ask Charlie. See, I knew my Great Gran's property in Montana had been handed down in the family, generation to generation. I just didn't know if Charlie had kept it in the family or sold it, when it was handed down to him. If he still had it, I wasn't even sure he'd let me have use of it. I had to find out, though, because I was determined to move to Montana. Something kept gnawing at me to be there, the more time I spent with the pack.
I had set it up to ask Charlie over dinner. Hopefully, a good meal and a happy belly would have him in a charitable mood. When he went to ask how my day had been during the meal, I knew my chance had arrived, so I said, “Good... been thinking a lot lately, now that things have ended with Edward.”
He looked at me worriedly, so I laughed, “I'm good, Dad, promise. I broke it off with him, remember? It's not like it was last year. I've just been thinking about my life, and what I want to do.”
He raised an eyebrow, motioning to the scattered papers and my laptop on the coffee table. “I thought you were writing a book of some sort. You're smart as a whip, Bella, and can write anything you put your mind to. Are you giving up on that dream? Is that what this is about?”
I shook my head hurriedly. This was not going how I'd hoped. “No! No, Dad... I'm not giving up. Sorry, I should have just come out and said what I was thinking, I guess. I was wondering if you still had Great Gran’s property near the Blackfeet Reservation.”
He let out a relieved breath, then chuckled, “Well, technically, it's on reservation land... and of course I have it. It's yours.”
I practically choked on my water before coughing, “Wait, what?! Mine?”
Charlie leaned over to pat my back. When I was over my coughing fit, he sat back, saying, “Yours, Bells. Our line is a little muddled, but we have Blackfoot in our heritage. You take after your Great Gran, though. I can see it clear as day in your features.”
I was shocked. Speechless. For a full 5 minutes.
When I finally looked up at him in confusion, he smiled slightly while patting my hand. “Let's finish our dinner, then it's time for the most important history lesson you'll ever get.”
Charlie told me to sit on the couch and not worry about dishes until after my 'history lesson'... that he'd help me clean up later. After he made sure I was sitting on the couch, he quickly made his way up to the attic, coming back several minutes later with a chest almost too big for him to handle alone. He pushed the coffee table out of the way, then put the chest in its place in front of me.
Life after we returned from Italy was, to say the least, not the same as before Edward left me. I didn't think it would be. Too much had been said... his leaving had broken something inside me that I didn't think could be fixed by mere words.
We tried to reconcile... truly we did. Things were even good between us for a while, but Edward and I were nowhere near as close as it felt we had been before he left. Our major points of contention were the wolves and my mortality, which was nothing new. I refused to give up my friendships with Jake and the pack, while he refused to change me so that we could truly be together.
It was when he asked me to marry him, while in the same breath still refusing to make me like him, that I knew there could never be a future for us. My mind was made. I refused Edward's proposal, telling him that if he couldn't see an eternity for us together, there was no way we could marry. I would only ever marry once; I refused to live in a marriage without acting as true husband and wife, with no real intimacy. That couldn't happen if he denied me the right to be like him, since my scent was still difficult for him to deal with when we were close.
I broke off my relationship with Edward a month before the end of senior year. He had asked me for time when I stated my reasons for refusing his proposal. We stayed together while trying to come to a final agreement, but he was no closer to agreeing to anything I wanted in all that time.
He wanted my human life, not an eternity with me, yet he didn't seem to care that there would be no true marriage there. I couldn't budge on my beliefs, so I finally put an end to his tries at compromising, his pleading, and even his assurances that we would be able to be intimate at some point in our marriage, once he was fully able to immunize himself of my scent.
Throughout all of this, my wolf family still accepted me. They hadn't turned their backs on me once the Cullens had breezed back into town. Maybe that was because I hadn't given up time with them to spend it with Edward. I still went to bonfires and barbecues, still spent time with Jake in the garage, and never missed an opportunity to help Emily in the kitchen when there was a house full. It pissed Edward off royally that I was ‘putting myself in danger’ around them, but he kept his feelings mostly to himself, knowing I wouldn't change my mind where they were concerned.
Once I had broken off my relationship with Edward, I knew I needed to make a change just for myself. My life now needed a new direction, so I started thinking about what I truly wanted that life to consist of.
I had heard of different tribes that still had the ability to turn into their spirit animals from the pack. For some reason, the Blackfeet Reservation stuck with me. I don't know whether it was because Charlie's Gran was supposedly from near there or not, but I was always interested in hearing more about them from Sam and the pack.
When I was sure of my decision, around graduation, I got the nerve up to ask Charlie. See, I knew my Great Gran's property in Montana had been handed down in the family, generation to generation. I just didn't know if Charlie had kept it in the family or sold it, when it was handed down to him. If he still had it, I wasn't even sure he'd let me have use of it. I had to find out, though, because I was determined to move to Montana. Something kept gnawing at me to be there, the more time I spent with the pack.
I had set it up to ask Charlie over dinner. Hopefully, a good meal and a happy belly would have him in a charitable mood. When he went to ask how my day had been during the meal, I knew my chance had arrived, so I said, “Good... been thinking a lot lately, now that things have ended with Edward.”
He looked at me worriedly, so I laughed, “I'm good, Dad, promise. I broke it off with him, remember? It's not like it was last year. I've just been thinking about my life, and what I want to do.”
He raised an eyebrow, motioning to the scattered papers and my laptop on the coffee table. “I thought you were writing a book of some sort. You're smart as a whip, Bella, and can write anything you put your mind to. Are you giving up on that dream? Is that what this is about?”
I shook my head hurriedly. This was not going how I'd hoped. “No! No, Dad... I'm not giving up. Sorry, I should have just come out and said what I was thinking, I guess. I was wondering if you still had Great Gran’s property near the Blackfeet Reservation.”
He let out a relieved breath, then chuckled, “Well, technically, it's on reservation land... and of course I have it. It's yours.”
I practically choked on my water before coughing, “Wait, what?! Mine?”
Charlie leaned over to pat my back. When I was over my coughing fit, he sat back, saying, “Yours, Bells. Our line is a little muddled, but we have Blackfoot in our heritage. You take after your Great Gran, though. I can see it clear as day in your features.”
I was shocked. Speechless. For a full 5 minutes.
When I finally looked up at him in confusion, he smiled slightly while patting my hand. “Let's finish our dinner, then it's time for the most important history lesson you'll ever get.”
Charlie told me to sit on the couch and not worry about dishes until after my 'history lesson'... that he'd help me clean up later. After he made sure I was sitting on the couch, he quickly made his way up to the attic, coming back several minutes later with a chest almost too big for him to handle alone. He pushed the coffee table out of the way, then put the chest in its place in front of me.
Sitting down beside me, Charlie opened the chest, which was filled with papers, pictures, journals, and old pieces of jewelry. The question was clear in my eyes, so the first thing he did was pull an old photo from near the top. It was a black and white that had yellowed with age, worn around the edges. On it was a woman that I swear could have been my twin. My voice was shaky as I asked, “Is this...?”
Charlie smiled, “Yeah, Bells, this is your great grandmother. Pretty shocking resemblance, huh?”
I chuckled while nodding my head. It really was shocking. She looked almost exactly like me, other than a few slight differences that were clearly Renee's influence. “Yeah, to put it mildly.”
He grinned then asking, “Did you ever wonder why you were named Isabella Marie? I insisted that you be named after both your Gran Marie, and your Great Gran Hurit, to honor our Blackfoot line. I knew Hurit would only get you teased, though, so your mom came up with a compromise. She was on one of her foreign language kicks, so when she mentioned that Isabella in Italian meant the same thing as Hurit in Blackfoot, we agreed to name you Isabella.”
I shook my head, then asked stupidly, “So Hurit means beautiful?”
He chuckled, patted my back, then said, “Yeah... and you are, Bells. Anyway... Gran Hurit's father was tribe, but her mother wasn't. It was deemed that to keep the land in tribal hands, it wouldn't go to her mother, but to her... to the tribal descendants. So, each time one of our blackfoot line passed, it was handed down. From your Great Gran Hurit, it went to your Gran Marie, then to me. That makes the land rightfully yours when I pass. It must stay in tribal hands, Bells. If you never have kids, you have to pass it back to the tribe. Granted, I hope there are kids in your future, but it has to be said.”
I understood the seriousness of what Charlie was telling me, so I took his hand and squeezed it gently, “They just might be in my future, Dad, but only time will tell. If for some reason they aren't, I promise not to let the land go to anyone but tribe.”
He let out a small sigh of relief, then handed me the papers to the house. “If I'm guessing right, you want to take up residence in the house pretty soon.”
When I nodded, he smiled, “Then these will need to be signed over to you. We'll go see the lawyer this week, to get it all taken care of for you. Honestly, it'll be a relief to have family back in the house, filling it with life again. I've hated having to leave it empty, but my place is here.”
We talked for a few more minutes, then Charlie got around to saying, “The rest of this chest can wait. It would be better for you to read these things there, on the reservation.”
Right then something hit me. The pack had said the Blackfoot tribe's people shifted... that they were protectors too... so why did Charlie not tell me about that part? He had to have known.
I stopped him from closing the chest completely, then grabbed an old leather bound journal from within. “Dad? Will any of these tell me about the tribe's spirit animals? About their protectors?”
Charlie gasped slightly, then looked at me wide-eyed. I chuckled, “I've known since I moved here, Dad. It's kind of hard not to find out when your best friend turns into a giant furry wolf. What I don't know is what spirit animal the Blackfoot tribe turns into, or whether I have the gene. If so, why haven't I shifted?”
Charlie ran his hand through his hair, then cleared his throat. “Coyote... or so the journals say. Bells, I didn't tell you because out here, away from the legends and tribal histories, you'd be considered crazy for saying your people shifted into huge animals. Hell, even the parents of the Quileute pack aren't told it's all true until it's life or death... or they're on the council.”
I laughed as I patted his hand, “It's alright, Dad. Truly, I understand. That's the same reason I didn't tell you that I was hanging around with vampires and horse-sized wolves. That still doesn't answer my question, though.”
He nodded, then said, “Yes, but our Blackfoot line has been weakened so much that I don't think you'll shift. I know Leah has, but her line is pure Quileute.”
I nodded, then said as I placed the journal back into the chest, “Alright. I guess that answers my question. I can wait to read these until I'm there. It'll give me something to do for the first few days during my down time, while I'm waiting for internet to be hooked up.”
Three days later, Charlie took me to his lawyer, so we could get the ownership of the house transferred into my name. He also had a copy sent to the tribal records office, so that there would be no confusion when I moved in. On the way home, we stopped at the moving supply store to get a bunch of boxes and tape, so I could start packing. Jake happened to be there when we pulled in the driveway, his eyes immediately going to the boxes. “Going somewhere, Bella?”
I hugged him tightly, then said, “Hey, Dad?”
He chuckled, “Go on, I've got this. I'll set it all on your bed for now.”
I hopped into Jake's VW, saying, “Might as well make this a family get together, Jake. Sam and the pack will want to know, too. It's nothing bad, I promise.”
He nodded, pulled out his phone, then quickly pressed the button for Sam. We were on our way to his house, instead of Jake's, because Sam said he'd gather everyone there.
When everyone was gathered, I smiled at them all. “Looks like I'm actually part Blackfoot. My great gran's name was Hurit. She was born to a male of the tribe and a white woman he took for his wife. Since the land needed to stay in the tribe, it went to Hurit when her parents passed... then to my Gran Marie. When she passed, it went to Dad. He just signed that land over to me today.”
Since no one seemed able to speak, I continued, “I'd been captivated with hearing tales of that tribe anytime you guys spoke of them, but didn't understand why. I thought maybe it was because my great gran's family was from nearby. Turns out she was Blackfoot, not from nearby. Charlie says our line has the gene to transform, but it's been diluted. I'm the result of three generations of our Blackfoot line not marrying back into the tribe. Because of that, Charlie doesn't think I'll shift. I agree with him, because if anything were going to make me shift, it would have happened already. I mean, I've been tortured and bitten by a vampire. If anything were going to make me shift, it would be that, right?”
Sam nodded in thought for a second, then asked, “And you're sure her name was Hurit? That's what Charlie told you?”
I agreed, stating, “Yeah, he wanted me to be named after the women in my line, but knew Hurit would get me teased mercilessly. Mom was on a language kick, and told him the Isabella meant beautiful in Italian, like Hurit does in Blackfoot, so at least the meaning would be the same. That's why I was named Isabella.”
Sam nodded, then Jake asked, “So you're moving to the Blackfeet Rez? Do you know where the property is? It consists of a lot more land than ours does.”
I smiled, pulled the map from my purse, then showed them. The property was right near the edge of the reservation, about a five minute drive from the border of Glacier National Park. Swiftcurrent Creek actually ran right through my property, from one side to the other.
Sam didn’t like that my property was so close to the national park line, which he said meant that I would be one of the first targeted if the rez was under attack. I reminded him of all the times he told me how protective the coyote pack was of their borders, and Jake agreed, “She’s right, Sam. The Blackfoot tribe is one of the only ones who haven’t had their borders breached. Their pack is on top of things. We can give them a heads up that she’s not only tribe to them, but practically family to us. Hell, if it comes down to it, one of the non-imprinted wolves can always take a couple days to run out, check on her, and run back. It’s not that long of a haul, and you know it. We’ve made that run before, for meetings.”
Reluctantly, Sam finally agreed that a phone call would do for now.
Two weeks later, graduation was over, and my family home was seeing a lot of action. Charlie took a couple of days off, so he could go out with me to make sure the house was in order, plus to buy and bring in any furniture needed.
Billy happened to convince Charlie that Jake should go too, to help with any repairs. I, on the other hand, had a sneaking suspicion that he was going for a face-to-face with the pack alpha and chief of the tribe. Charlie didn’t outright say it, but the look he gave me said he thought the same thing. We just shrugged at each other after the phone call as I said, “Pack secrecy crap… who knows what he’s actually up to.”
The house was quite a bit larger than I thought, but a beautiful farmhouse style mix of log, stone and wood siding. When I first stepped onto the property, I could have sworn I stepped back in time hundreds of years. Walking into the house and pulling the protective sheets off the furniture only confirmed my thoughts. Everything was an eclectic mix of old world beauty, rustic nature, and whimsical color.
It was perfect just as it was. I was adamant when I told Charlie that the only things I wanted changed out, were the box springs and mattresses for the beds… everything else stayed right where it was.
While Jake went and did his thing, Charlie and I took the day to shop for new foundation sets for the beds. Sheets, quilts, towels, a new mop and broom, along with other necessities came next. Our last trip out, after all that was unloaded, was for groceries. Jake was back by then, happy as could be, so I knew whatever he came here to do went well. We got dinner out, then did about a month’s worth of shopping before we reached the house again. All in all, it was a truly productive day.
My boxes from Forks arrived the next day, but other than putting them in the rooms they needed to be in, they weren’t touched. The three of us decided to explore the property for the day. The garden off the back of the main entry needed major tending, but I could easily see it was meant for household herbs and fruits. There were also a couple of apple trees in the back yard, which I loved. Jake plucked one to take a bite, then moaned before holding it out to me, “Try this, Bells. It’s awesome. You could make some amazing pies with these.”
I did, and after a loud hum of appreciation, I agreed to make them a pie for dessert that night, since they were headed back to Forks the next day.
I loved the little picnic island. While I was baking their pie that afternoon, Charlie and Jake decided to fix the bridges connecting the small picnic island to both the front and back parts of the property. The railings were unstable, and both bridges were missing several stepping boards. Thankfully, they both had solid foundations and connections to land, so they just needed some tlc.
Charlie knew I was hoping to use the little island as one of my writing spots, since it was shady and quiet, so I think that’s why they decided to get it done before they left. Either way, I was grateful, because it was an amazing property to explore fully.
Though I didn’t hear anything, Jake would practically perk his human ears up at points throughout the day, then smile at me while shaking his head, to let me know everything was alright. It finally dawned on me during dinner that Jake was hearing the coyotes patrolling, and was happy it was at a frequent rate near my house. When I asked him just that while handing him ⅓ of the apple pie for dessert, he just nodded, “Gotta make sure you’ll be protected, Bells. They know you’re in the loop, so once you settle in, don’t be surprised if you see a few of them. They’re happy you’re home, living in your great gran’s house. They’ve hated seeing it empty all these years. The alpha, Zander, said he’d stop by in a few days to introduce himself.”
I saw Dad nod in appreciation to Jake, then I said happily, “Good. I was hoping to meet them soon. It’ll be hard not seeing you guys every day… not having my wolf family around… but I know this is where I need to be. I’ve been drawn here for a reason, but only time will tell what that is.”
Dad smiled at that, while Jake nodded thoughtfully.
That night I slept peacefully, dreaming of calm creek waters, sounds of unseen coyotes patrolling my woods, and a lone wolf’s howl.
Charlie smiled, “Yeah, Bells, this is your great grandmother. Pretty shocking resemblance, huh?”
I chuckled while nodding my head. It really was shocking. She looked almost exactly like me, other than a few slight differences that were clearly Renee's influence. “Yeah, to put it mildly.”
He grinned then asking, “Did you ever wonder why you were named Isabella Marie? I insisted that you be named after both your Gran Marie, and your Great Gran Hurit, to honor our Blackfoot line. I knew Hurit would only get you teased, though, so your mom came up with a compromise. She was on one of her foreign language kicks, so when she mentioned that Isabella in Italian meant the same thing as Hurit in Blackfoot, we agreed to name you Isabella.”
I shook my head, then asked stupidly, “So Hurit means beautiful?”
He chuckled, patted my back, then said, “Yeah... and you are, Bells. Anyway... Gran Hurit's father was tribe, but her mother wasn't. It was deemed that to keep the land in tribal hands, it wouldn't go to her mother, but to her... to the tribal descendants. So, each time one of our blackfoot line passed, it was handed down. From your Great Gran Hurit, it went to your Gran Marie, then to me. That makes the land rightfully yours when I pass. It must stay in tribal hands, Bells. If you never have kids, you have to pass it back to the tribe. Granted, I hope there are kids in your future, but it has to be said.”
I understood the seriousness of what Charlie was telling me, so I took his hand and squeezed it gently, “They just might be in my future, Dad, but only time will tell. If for some reason they aren't, I promise not to let the land go to anyone but tribe.”
He let out a small sigh of relief, then handed me the papers to the house. “If I'm guessing right, you want to take up residence in the house pretty soon.”
When I nodded, he smiled, “Then these will need to be signed over to you. We'll go see the lawyer this week, to get it all taken care of for you. Honestly, it'll be a relief to have family back in the house, filling it with life again. I've hated having to leave it empty, but my place is here.”
We talked for a few more minutes, then Charlie got around to saying, “The rest of this chest can wait. It would be better for you to read these things there, on the reservation.”
Right then something hit me. The pack had said the Blackfoot tribe's people shifted... that they were protectors too... so why did Charlie not tell me about that part? He had to have known.
I stopped him from closing the chest completely, then grabbed an old leather bound journal from within. “Dad? Will any of these tell me about the tribe's spirit animals? About their protectors?”
Charlie gasped slightly, then looked at me wide-eyed. I chuckled, “I've known since I moved here, Dad. It's kind of hard not to find out when your best friend turns into a giant furry wolf. What I don't know is what spirit animal the Blackfoot tribe turns into, or whether I have the gene. If so, why haven't I shifted?”
Charlie ran his hand through his hair, then cleared his throat. “Coyote... or so the journals say. Bells, I didn't tell you because out here, away from the legends and tribal histories, you'd be considered crazy for saying your people shifted into huge animals. Hell, even the parents of the Quileute pack aren't told it's all true until it's life or death... or they're on the council.”
I laughed as I patted his hand, “It's alright, Dad. Truly, I understand. That's the same reason I didn't tell you that I was hanging around with vampires and horse-sized wolves. That still doesn't answer my question, though.”
He nodded, then said, “Yes, but our Blackfoot line has been weakened so much that I don't think you'll shift. I know Leah has, but her line is pure Quileute.”
I nodded, then said as I placed the journal back into the chest, “Alright. I guess that answers my question. I can wait to read these until I'm there. It'll give me something to do for the first few days during my down time, while I'm waiting for internet to be hooked up.”
Three days later, Charlie took me to his lawyer, so we could get the ownership of the house transferred into my name. He also had a copy sent to the tribal records office, so that there would be no confusion when I moved in. On the way home, we stopped at the moving supply store to get a bunch of boxes and tape, so I could start packing. Jake happened to be there when we pulled in the driveway, his eyes immediately going to the boxes. “Going somewhere, Bella?”
I hugged him tightly, then said, “Hey, Dad?”
He chuckled, “Go on, I've got this. I'll set it all on your bed for now.”
I hopped into Jake's VW, saying, “Might as well make this a family get together, Jake. Sam and the pack will want to know, too. It's nothing bad, I promise.”
He nodded, pulled out his phone, then quickly pressed the button for Sam. We were on our way to his house, instead of Jake's, because Sam said he'd gather everyone there.
When everyone was gathered, I smiled at them all. “Looks like I'm actually part Blackfoot. My great gran's name was Hurit. She was born to a male of the tribe and a white woman he took for his wife. Since the land needed to stay in the tribe, it went to Hurit when her parents passed... then to my Gran Marie. When she passed, it went to Dad. He just signed that land over to me today.”
Since no one seemed able to speak, I continued, “I'd been captivated with hearing tales of that tribe anytime you guys spoke of them, but didn't understand why. I thought maybe it was because my great gran's family was from nearby. Turns out she was Blackfoot, not from nearby. Charlie says our line has the gene to transform, but it's been diluted. I'm the result of three generations of our Blackfoot line not marrying back into the tribe. Because of that, Charlie doesn't think I'll shift. I agree with him, because if anything were going to make me shift, it would have happened already. I mean, I've been tortured and bitten by a vampire. If anything were going to make me shift, it would be that, right?”
Sam nodded in thought for a second, then asked, “And you're sure her name was Hurit? That's what Charlie told you?”
I agreed, stating, “Yeah, he wanted me to be named after the women in my line, but knew Hurit would get me teased mercilessly. Mom was on a language kick, and told him the Isabella meant beautiful in Italian, like Hurit does in Blackfoot, so at least the meaning would be the same. That's why I was named Isabella.”
Sam nodded, then Jake asked, “So you're moving to the Blackfeet Rez? Do you know where the property is? It consists of a lot more land than ours does.”
I smiled, pulled the map from my purse, then showed them. The property was right near the edge of the reservation, about a five minute drive from the border of Glacier National Park. Swiftcurrent Creek actually ran right through my property, from one side to the other.
Sam didn’t like that my property was so close to the national park line, which he said meant that I would be one of the first targeted if the rez was under attack. I reminded him of all the times he told me how protective the coyote pack was of their borders, and Jake agreed, “She’s right, Sam. The Blackfoot tribe is one of the only ones who haven’t had their borders breached. Their pack is on top of things. We can give them a heads up that she’s not only tribe to them, but practically family to us. Hell, if it comes down to it, one of the non-imprinted wolves can always take a couple days to run out, check on her, and run back. It’s not that long of a haul, and you know it. We’ve made that run before, for meetings.”
Reluctantly, Sam finally agreed that a phone call would do for now.
Two weeks later, graduation was over, and my family home was seeing a lot of action. Charlie took a couple of days off, so he could go out with me to make sure the house was in order, plus to buy and bring in any furniture needed.
Billy happened to convince Charlie that Jake should go too, to help with any repairs. I, on the other hand, had a sneaking suspicion that he was going for a face-to-face with the pack alpha and chief of the tribe. Charlie didn’t outright say it, but the look he gave me said he thought the same thing. We just shrugged at each other after the phone call as I said, “Pack secrecy crap… who knows what he’s actually up to.”
The house was quite a bit larger than I thought, but a beautiful farmhouse style mix of log, stone and wood siding. When I first stepped onto the property, I could have sworn I stepped back in time hundreds of years. Walking into the house and pulling the protective sheets off the furniture only confirmed my thoughts. Everything was an eclectic mix of old world beauty, rustic nature, and whimsical color.
It was perfect just as it was. I was adamant when I told Charlie that the only things I wanted changed out, were the box springs and mattresses for the beds… everything else stayed right where it was.
While Jake went and did his thing, Charlie and I took the day to shop for new foundation sets for the beds. Sheets, quilts, towels, a new mop and broom, along with other necessities came next. Our last trip out, after all that was unloaded, was for groceries. Jake was back by then, happy as could be, so I knew whatever he came here to do went well. We got dinner out, then did about a month’s worth of shopping before we reached the house again. All in all, it was a truly productive day.
My boxes from Forks arrived the next day, but other than putting them in the rooms they needed to be in, they weren’t touched. The three of us decided to explore the property for the day. The garden off the back of the main entry needed major tending, but I could easily see it was meant for household herbs and fruits. There were also a couple of apple trees in the back yard, which I loved. Jake plucked one to take a bite, then moaned before holding it out to me, “Try this, Bells. It’s awesome. You could make some amazing pies with these.”
I did, and after a loud hum of appreciation, I agreed to make them a pie for dessert that night, since they were headed back to Forks the next day.
I loved the little picnic island. While I was baking their pie that afternoon, Charlie and Jake decided to fix the bridges connecting the small picnic island to both the front and back parts of the property. The railings were unstable, and both bridges were missing several stepping boards. Thankfully, they both had solid foundations and connections to land, so they just needed some tlc.
Charlie knew I was hoping to use the little island as one of my writing spots, since it was shady and quiet, so I think that’s why they decided to get it done before they left. Either way, I was grateful, because it was an amazing property to explore fully.
Though I didn’t hear anything, Jake would practically perk his human ears up at points throughout the day, then smile at me while shaking his head, to let me know everything was alright. It finally dawned on me during dinner that Jake was hearing the coyotes patrolling, and was happy it was at a frequent rate near my house. When I asked him just that while handing him ⅓ of the apple pie for dessert, he just nodded, “Gotta make sure you’ll be protected, Bells. They know you’re in the loop, so once you settle in, don’t be surprised if you see a few of them. They’re happy you’re home, living in your great gran’s house. They’ve hated seeing it empty all these years. The alpha, Zander, said he’d stop by in a few days to introduce himself.”
I saw Dad nod in appreciation to Jake, then I said happily, “Good. I was hoping to meet them soon. It’ll be hard not seeing you guys every day… not having my wolf family around… but I know this is where I need to be. I’ve been drawn here for a reason, but only time will tell what that is.”
Dad smiled at that, while Jake nodded thoughtfully.
That night I slept peacefully, dreaming of calm creek waters, sounds of unseen coyotes patrolling my woods, and a lone wolf’s howl.