Hello lovelies, it's been a while. Though not nearly as long as last time. Thank you, as always for your patience and your time. Please continue to stick with me and this story, I promise I will try to make it worth your time! All reviews, follows, favorites are greatly appreciated!

Twenty Two - Tris

She was late. It was already moon up, and everyone was gathered around a huge bonfire on a cliff top. Billy, Old Quil, and Sue sat at the head of the group, the wind coming off of the water behind them ruffling their hair. Someone had taken down a large tree trunk for the Elders to sit on. Billy had parked his chair beside it and spoke lowly to Sue with a small frown on his face.

Tris wondered if the packs had separated themselves intentionally; Paul sat beside of Sam on one side of the fire. Quil, and Seth sat on the other beside Jacob. Emily sat on a fallen tree behind Sam's pack, slightly raised above the wolves seated on the ground. Sam was leaning back comfortably against his imprint's legs, his face impatient. Tris quickly looked away from the two, a small twinge of envy twisting his stomach. Bella sat alone on a log behind Jacob's pack, looking paler than usual and extremely uncomfortable. Her wide eyes darted in every direction, meeting Tristan's own twice. She'd smiled nervously at him, but he hadn't returned the gesture. He and Joshua sat a bit apart from the packs, in the dirt like the rest of the wolves, but side by side across the bonfire from the Elders. Leah was nowhere to be seen or smelled, and neither was Alex.

Where the hell was she?

Tris' foot tapped harder against the damp earth.

"I wish you'd stop shaking your leg." Josh leaned over to whisper to him. "You're giving me anxiety."

"She was supposed to be here half an hour ago." Tris hissed back, his hazel eyes flicking around to the others, hoping he wasn't overheard.

But of course he was; there was no privacy around a bunch of super hearing wolf people.

"Count on Leah to hold up the meeting." Paul sneered, flicking his glare from Tristan to the others. "You should have let me train your sister first, Jacob. Bet I could whip her into shape faster than Leah ever could."

Jake snorted, his look unamused. "I doubt that."

The Alpha's eyes shifted to the trees behind the two boys sitting in the dirt, and then all the idle chatter died down as they too caught onto the sound of approaching footsteps. Tris looked over his shoulder along with the packs just as Alex broke through the tree line, her chin up and her eyes unafraid. She wore the old pair of oil splattered jeans Tris knew she used when tinkering with their dirt bikes and a dirt smudged black sports bra. Her feet were bare. Her skin was covered in a layer of sweat and her hair was a wild, black halo on her head, bits of leaves stuck in the tangles here and there.

Leah exited the forest behind her, her hands resting on her hips and a pleased smirk plastered on her face.

Everyone watched as the youngest, and smallest, new wolf stopped in her tracks. The fire light reflected in her eyes as she glanced around at them all with a scowl, the brown suddenly hardening before she stomped forward. Tris tried desperately to catch her eye, but she brushed past him without blinking, a determined set to her jaw. She strode past all of the watching wolves, ignoring her father and the other Elders, Emily and Bella, as she went to stand directly in front of her older brother. She glared down at him silently for a moment, and just as Jacob opened his mouth to speak she cocked an arm back and smashed her fist in the center of his face. Everyone gawked at the Alpha's exclamation of pain and the undoubtable crunch of bones.

"Dammit, Alex!" Leah sprinted to the other girl, grabbing her roughly around the arm and pulling her away from her brother.

Jacob glared at his sister's back, the blood flow already slowing from his broken nose. He brushed off Bella's worried, outreached hands and reset his nose with a wince before it could heal improperly.

Paul erupted in laughter, Sam and Old Quil glowered disapprovingly.

Leah shoved Alex onto her butt on the ground beside Tris, her look much less irritated than the palest wolf thought it should be. She barked at Alex lowly to, "Stay." and Tristan was shocked when his best friend growled lowly at the woman, but didn't move. She instead pulled her knees up and rested her arms on them, her look angry but satisfied as Leah went to sit on Jacob's right side with an annoyed look on her face.

Alex must have felt Tristan's hazel eyes burning into her skull because she spun her head over to glare at him and bare her teeth. Tris quickly averted his gaze before he ended up with broken bones next. He knew how bad her temper was before she'd Turned, no way in hell was he testing her patience right now. Josh fidgeted uncomfortably on his other side.

Billy cleared his throat, pulling everyone's eyes from both of his glowering children.

"The council meeting will now start. This will be the first for some of you, and so I will explain how our meetings proceed." He said in his deep, rumbling voice. "We gather like this for one of two reasons, when new wolves have joined our ranks, or we are faced with a threat. Unfortunately, this time we have the task of both training our new brothers -and sister- and preparing for war."

There was a strange hush from the packs, every eye trained on Billy Black. The only sounds were the crackling of the blazing fire and the distant rustle of animals scurrying around in the forest behind Tristan. Billy met each of their eyes, and when those dark browns met his own he felt something strange from the old man. He was not a wolf, but there still was a strange power to him, something that had Tris leaning forward with the rest of the packs, waiting to hear his next words.

"Cold Ones have been back in the area for quite some time now, and while it is not ideal, we have had an uneasy peace with the Cullens." His eyes flicked momentarily to Bella. "When they first returned we renewed our treaty with them, which stipulated that if they stay off of our lands, and they do not hunt human beings, we do not kill them. They have abided by this agreement, but they have also attracted other vampires to this area, the hunters that went after Bella Swan last year for example. Those vampires caused more of our people to Change into Spirit Warriors, and because more have recently been here our new brothers and sister awoke their wolves as well."

"But this time it's different." Sue spoke up. While Billy's voice was soft and compelling, Sue Clearwater's was clear and commanding. Tris felt his spine straighten instinctively at her voice. "The last time Leeches came into this area there were three, and only one lingered here and was taken care of. The Cullens hunted and killed a second, and stupidly let the third get away. And now the third has returned, seeking to avenge the death of her mate."

"Victoria." Jacob growled dangerously, the drying blood on his face black in the fire light.

Bella visibly shivered.

"Yes." It was Old Quil this time. Tris had tried to speak to him when he'd first arrived, but the old man had just scowled at him and refused to shake his hand. Tris had rolled his eyes, still not understanding what he'd ever done to offend the Elder so deeply. Even now, Old Quil avoided his gaze as he spoke. "And from what most of you have gathered, she has not come alone. You have caught multiple scents along our territory lines, indicating that the red headed vampire has more of her kind working with her. Even now, we are not able to rest. Those of the packs not here are patrolling the lines, keeping the blood suckers from entering our land."

"Who killed the woman's mate?" It was Alex who'd asked. Tris glanced over at her in surprise and saw that her hand was raised tentatively, her mouth twisted. Of course she wouldn't know this information yet, and when she found out just what the Alphas wanted them to do Tris was sure she would blow a gasket.

"The Cullens." Her father answered carefully. "And you don't have to raise a hand, Alex. This is an open discussion."

"That's a first." She scoffed bitterly but lowered her hand. "Anyway, if these vampires are the ones who killed this woman's mate, why the hell are they trying so hard to get into the Rez? Why not just go after Doucheface and his family?"

Everyone but Jacob flicked their eyes to Bella, whose face was a pale shade of white, brown eyes huge and guilty.

"They're after me." The human spoke quietly, but no one missed her whispered words. "Victoria wants to kill me because Edward killed James, she wants to hurt him through me."

There was a pause and then Tris felt his side explode in heat. Alex was trembling at his side, her hand and feet blurring and a low rumble coming from deep in her chest. When she spoke again her voice was thick and blocked by the elongation of her canines.

"So why the fuck are you here?" She snarled at the girl. "Why would you come here, knowing that those monsters are on your tail? Why do we have to clean up your mess? Why would you risk us? Why don't you just give yourself to her and save us all the trouble?"

There was a deafening growl across the bonfire, and Tris felt the hair on the back of his neck instinctively stand on end. It was Jacob, glaring furiously at his little sister, who didn't back down from his silent challenge in the slightest. The other wolves, Tris and Josh included, shifted nervously as they stared one another down, their snarls getting louder the longer they held each other's eyes. The memory of Jacob and Alex rolling in the dirt flashed in Tris' mind, the two snapping at each other with teeth that could cut through bone, and he forced down a shiver.

Jacob's clenched fists started to tremble, but Alex was already a blur at Tris' side. The heat she was exuding was stifling, and Tristan was two seconds from moving before she Phased on top of him when a voice like a whip distracted Alex from her anger.

"Knock it off!" Sue snapped. "Jacob, put your teeth away. Alex, take a deep breath and listen."

Both wolves were brought up short, their trembling stopping and their almost identical brown eyes flicking from one another to the Clearwater Elder. Sue's face, strikingly similar to her daughter's, was twisted with impatience. When she saw she had their attention she huffed and turned back to the packs, her tone stiff.

"Protecting human beings is your mandate. It is why you were Changed, it is in your blood." She said clearly, her voice carrying across the expanse of the cliff top with little effort. "If humans are in danger, it is your job to protect them if they are on our land, no matter if they are family or complete strangers. Or if they got themselves into the mess in the first place."

Her eyes shifted to Bella as she finished her small speech, her eyes black fire. Though Alex's low growling didn't cease at Tristan's side, her trembling stopped and she didn't say anything else.

Billy cleared his throat. "So we watch. And we wait. The Cullens have left Forks, drawing the red headed vampire away. We are to keep the companions she left behind from entering our land at all cost, to keep them from hurting Bella or any other humans in the area. We are, in a way, working with the Cullens until we catch and kill these leeches. They have promised that in exchange for our assistance, they will consider relocating-this time for good."

"Consider?" Paul sneered, his face curled in disgust. "After all of the bullshit they put us through there should be no consideration. We shouldn't even be helping them, if you ask me."

Billy sighed wearily, and Tris knew it was because the elder had had this argument with the volatile wolf on more than one occasion. He noted when Alex sat up a bit straighter at Paul's tone.

"Our ancestors thought the Cullens were peaceful enough to share this area with us, and they have not broken that treaty. Until they do, we will not force them ou-"

"I say we take out the new bloodsuckers and then off the yellow-eyed clan next."

No one acknowledged when Bella stiffened.

"Paul, we cannot start a wa-"

"It's not like you're the one fighting old man!" The wolf snarled.

Tris felt fire ripple against his left side. The Alphas glared at Paul, but it was Alex whom he gave his attention to when she spoke up in a soft, dangerous voice.

"Cut my father off again, and I will rip your tongue out through your ass."

She didn't yell, she didn't glare, at the older and much larger werewolf. Her voice was just loud enough to hear over the crackle of the bonfire, and her eyes were clear of mindless rage and full of promise.

Paul's top lip curled over his fangs. "Well aren't you adorable?"

"And deadly serious." Her smile sent a trill of fear down Tris's spine.

"I've got twenty on the newbie." Quil mock whispered, trying not so subtly to lighten the mood.

"I'll take that bet." Sam responded across the fire with a tight smile, his eyes never leaving Alex.

"Thirty says she makes Paul eat his own tail." Josh murmured on Tristan's right.

Paul finally looked away from Alex's blank stare with a scoff. Sue spoke, quieting the tense chuckling that had ensued.

"If you're all finished, this council meeting is over. Bella is to stay at Young house for the duration of her stay in La Push." She met Sam's glare then with one of her own, daring the Alpha to object. When he didn't she continued. "It will be easier to keep her safe from your base. The pups will remain at the Black house when they are not patrolling or with an older pack member. Having the three there will make it easier to monitor them, and reduce the damage of training them to one area."

Tristan's spine stiffened, a different, queasy, sort of trill going through him at the thought of living under the same roof as Alex.

"What about school?" Said girl questioned, her eyes wide in disbelief and fury.

"You have more important things to worry about right now." Old Quil grumbled.

She shot the old man a glare that could kill.

"The semester just started!" Her arms shook. "I'm not dropping out."

"When your Alphas deem you able enough to be around humans, and the current threat is dealt with, you may return to school. Though it looks to me as if you have quite a bit of training ahead of you before you learn to drop your petulant act, and learn to control yourself." The Elder frowned at her, the wide eyes behind his glasses on her trembling arms.

She growled loudly at him before she stood. She held the old man's stare for a tense, uncomfortable few seconds before she turned her eyes down to Tristan. The brown color that he had always associated with dark chocolate was cold and hard in a way that wasn't familiar to him.

"Your grandfather is an asshole." She said lowly.

Tristan's eyes furrowed in confusion, until he followed her eyes back to the bespectacled Elder across the flickering fire. The old man's eyes were even larger, if that was possible, and his face was flushed a deep red. Tris distantly heard Alex take off into the trees behind him, then heard Leah curse before taking off after the girl. The remaining of the gathering were stunned into silence. When Old Quil Ateara's eyes finally met his own, nose long and slightly upturned in a familiar way that made Tris sick, his world stopped.

Ok, I know Alex has been acting like a bitch, and I know some of my readers don't like the way she's behaved but she is a flawed character. Our girl has hella issues she has to work through, and she has to learn how to forgive those who hurt her and to stop trying to hurt those around her in return. But anyway! Let me know what you guys think of the new chapter! I know it's a bit short, but I'm editing the next and hopefully I'll have it up soon! XOXO