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It was another legend. Easily forgotten as time proceeded. A story that Ephraim Black had heard as a young boy and by the time he reached adulthood the story was tucked into the dark vestiges of his mind. He had other things to worry about like the cold ones who had shown up in Forks.

They outnumbered Ephraim's small pack of three and they had no choice but to take the word of their natural enemy. The hope that these golden-eyed, pale-faced monsters were telling the truth was an unfathomable risk. It wasn't lightly that they made their decision.

Ephraim's father Joseph was the chief of the tribe. The elders – Quil Ateara, Moses Clearwater, and Thomas Uley were the compass that guided Ephraim in quest to balance the needs of the tribe, pack, and his own small and growing family. His wife Martha had just given birth to their youngest child – another daughter who they named Jane.

It was holding her – this tiny, fragile scrap of human life that helped him to realize that he needed to trust his instincts. The ones that told him a treaty with the Cullens would be the lesser of two evils; even when his pack, father, and the elders disagreed and tried to convince him otherwise.

His mother helped craft the document. The words written in the language of their ancestors – the only means they had to guard against the consequences should the document get into the wrong hands. It would be assumed that the scroll was nothing more than a story. One which gave life to supernatural creatures that had no way to exist in this ever modern age.

One of the Cullens could read minds. Ephraim learned it when he, Quil II, and Levi brought the document to them and the bronze-haired boy stated, "I appreciate your concerns and we are grateful for your foresight. Should such a document ever be found, it could be disastrous for us as we are governed much like you are. Revealing what we are is forbidden and punishable by death."

At the time Ephraim had been questioning the choice to write the document in Quileute. And at this late hour, there wasn't the time to change it. Though the safety of the tribe's history and legends were at risk if it got in the wrong hands; it was his duty as Alpha and the future chief of the tribe to put the tribe before his own needs.

He had roamed the Earth for decades. At first, he had kept track by marking off the years on a rock near the cave he would use as shelter in the cold season. After some period it seemed pointless – time was meaningless when one had been wandering as long as him.

His human life was getting more and more difficult to remember, but he had no choice. The decision to roam the lands that he had once been chief of was a drive coming from the wolf. The wolf that had become much stronger than the man; each cycle of the moon, the seasons, and years strengthened the wolf's resolve.

He had tried to give up many times, but the wolf would reveal the shadowy snippets of the joy to come. The woman he was waiting for. The missing piece to his soul; one he hadn't realized was missing until after his first phase.

He wondered if Taha Aki had felt this intense, burning ache – the painful, chugging of his heart as he waited. It waxed and waned in intensity. Some days the pain was so crippling that the man had no choice but to give over to the wolf. The animal doing what needed to be done to survive.

He been young, only seventeen summers, when he laid eyes on the young maiden he later took as his wife. She was half-Makah and Quileute. The history of the Quileute tribe with the Makah had been a rocky one. Years of peace interspersed with conflicts. It was difficult to say whether the hok'wat government had helped the peace between the two tribes.

Their lands were stolen and they were moved to smaller areas; places that the hok'wats termed reservations. He had been a small boy when his father had signed the documents – a treaty – with the hok'wats and it was the reason for the name he now carried: Jacob Black. Jacob was a name from a book the hok'wats preached from.

Black was in honor of their ancestor Shipa. Shipa was the Quileute word for black and while the hok'wats forbade the tribe to speak or name things in their native tongue – they found ways around it. Jacob didn't remember the name he had before. It was the downfall of being so young when things had begun to change.

And that brought his thought back to her, Alice Fox. She had been the most beautiful maiden he had ever set his eyes on. Their union was meant to heal the strife between the two tribes. At first, he had resisted the idea. He understood the position he had been born into and knew his role, but it still chaffed. Alice had been just as unwilling as he was.

His mother encouraged him to spend time with Alice. Soon, her soft spoken words and smiles along with her intelligence intrigued him. She wasn't like the meek maidens he was used to. There was a fire inside her and it didn't take long before he realized there was no one better suited to be at his side.

They were wed in a hok'wat ceremony and later, privately in a ceremony of their ancestors. Once on the Makah reservation, so that her people could meet him – an important step for when the time came for Jacob assume his destiny. Then, after a week of feasts and celebration, they returned to La Push and celebrated with his tribe.

Joseph was born within a year and Joanna two years after him. With Joanna's birth came the first of many losses he experienced. Alice – the girl who had become a woman and who he thought would be by his side until their children were grown – died shortly after giving birth. His father was next, leaving him a widower with two small children and the mantle of chief over his head.

Then came the day he wasn't expecting. A day when the rage and sadness at the gods, which he buried deep inside, broke free. His body twisting and contorting, an inferno of pain rocked his body as his bones and muscles realigned. When the pain diminished, he ran, only to realize that he was no longer human he was something else.

A flickering memory flashed; one in which he had sat on his mother's lap while his grandfather told them the stories of the tribe. This story was different from the ones he had heard before. A legend of a man whose spirit had entered the body of a wolf – Taha Aki.

As he ran through the forest, he realized the thudding sound of paws was him and when he finally stopped, taking a drink of water from a small stream, he gazed into it. The crystal clear liquid showed his new form. His astonishment and fascination with his transformation was interrupted by the terrified screams of his mother.

How he knew it was her by her scream alone, he wasn't sure. He felt as the wolf took over and together they ran to her small hut. The same hut where his children were for the day. Adrenaline rushed through his veins giving him speed and strength.

The scene when he arrived made his blood run cold. A pale-faced stranger crouched holding his mother's body. Blood dripping from its mouth – the bright, redness of it was surreal. His mother's screams nothing more than a gurgling sound. Briefly, he wondered if this was a nightmare and prayed that he would wake from it.

Joseph's small voice reminded him that everything in front of his face was part of his reality. "Father…"

Jacob swung his head towards his son and the monster's head did the same. Joseph and Joanna stood there. Joanna's black eyes were wide with fright, her small frame trembling and her hand gripped Joseph's like it was a lifeline.

The sound of his mother's body crashing to the ground brought his eyes back to the monster. It moved with a speed he hadn't been anticipating and his heart dropped as he questioned whether he could save his children in time. The wolf nudged him – growling at him. He suddenly understood that the wolf knew what to do, even when he didn't.

It was the wolf who charged at the monster – ripping and tearing its hard, marble flesh apart. The terrible sounds, which emanated from his destruction of it, brought a few tribe members who were close by to his mother's hut. It wasn't long before the monster lay on the ground in pieces.

Jacob took control over his wolf body as the wolf slid into the recess of his mind. His jaded gaze watched as several elderly tribesmen took torches and lit the pieces on fire. It wasn't until they moved toward the fallen body of his mother – the vessel, which had once held her spirit that he was able to break free of the wolf.

His body shimmered and trembled. The fire burned along his limbs. A mournful howl left his lips, the sound transforming into a wailing cry of her name.

His naked human body became a blur of motion as he rushed to her side. Her lifeless body, he clutched to his. Tears streamed down his face. It was too much for him.

His wife. His father. And now his mother. She was the map and compass; the guide to his life. The one who ensured that his heart wasn't just that of a warrior or a man, but a lover, a husband, and a father. His anchor in rough times.

He sobbed as his heart broke. His mind was unable to fathom living without her wisdom and strength. He maintained a death grip on her body, knowing that the moment he let go what would happen.

"My chief," he heard a gravelly voice begin. "You must let her go. The body must be burned to ensure she doesn't come back as one of them."

He wasn't deterred. His grip tightening as he set his jaw defiantly. He raised his face and dared the elders in front of him to defy him.

"She will become a wìlot'adáxha – a monster feasting on the blood of the tribe until we are no more. The cold one you destroyed was the reason for your change. It is only when we are faced with them that we have the power to transform into the wolf."

Reluctantly, he released her body. Another elder produced a blanket, which he wrapped around his hips to cover his naked body. Turning his back, he walked over to his children and gathered them up into his arms.

"I want you to close your eyes." He commanded them and then he began to walk away from his mother's hut. His final words to the elders were loud and clear. "Destroy it all."

He continued to phase into the wolf. He was compelled to protect the tribe and he refused to allow unnatural death to visit them ever again. After the death of his mother, it was suggested to him that he should take a wife so his children could have the influence of a female in their lives. Secretly, the tribe wished that Jacob would do it for himself too, but he refused.

The wolf was appalled by the idea. He didn't know when he figured it out or how he did. Each day he spent as the wolf, he could understand the animal's needs. Some unseen force guided him to realize that while he loved Alice – he was also grateful that she was gone as she wasn't his soul mate. The missing half of his heart was somewhere and he searched for it with a vengeance.

Even when his children were finally married, their futures established; he continued to phase. The pain in his heart grew worse each year and he wondered where she was and when he would finally get to set eyes on her. With the birth of his first grandchild, a little boy Joseph and Jane named Ephraim; he realized his time with his people was limited.

The first time he held the youngster in his arms he recognized the wolf spirit that lingered inside the boy. The wolf that would burst forth sooner or later and Jacob knew without a doubt there could only be one Alpha. Their wolves wouldn't care about their ties – they would battle to the death and Jacob refused to let that happen.

He could have given up his wolf, but the wolf balked at that idea. The hazy and vague future his wolf had shared replayed through his mind. While the figures and surroundings weren't clear, the sensations and feelings were. Ecstasy, joy, contentment, and completeness – the likes of which he had never felt in all his years.

It gave him the strength to leave his tribe. His family and his people. He wandered off into the woods one day and was never seen again.

Ephraim was a boy of seven summers the first time he heard the legend. He didn't remember meeting his grandfather though he had been told he had been held in his grandfather's arms. Days after his birth, his grandfather disappeared, and many believed he wasn't truly gone.

It was Quil who told the story. He was one of the elders who had the tribe's history committed to memory and could tell you anything you wished to know. Ephraim listened in fascination as the legend of Jacob Black was told.

"It was during a time of much change and upheaval that Jacob became a young man. A man whose destiny was much greater than what even his father could have imagined and it was his destiny, which brought strength to the tribe during troubling times."

Quil shared the story of the beautiful maiden from the Makah tribe that Jacob took as his wife. The sadness the young chief experienced with the losses of his wife, father, and later his mother. In the midst of all the pain, something extraordinary happened. The tale of Taha Aki had been shared around the bonfire for centuries, but it was slowly becoming nothing more than a story. With Jacob's transformation, the shared tale became truth once again.

A truth that breathed life into a generation who was slowly giving up on the traditions and culture that the older generation was fighting to preserve. Quil shared the angst Jacob had of being too late to spare his mother's life and having to make the ultimate choice – allowing her body to be destroyed before she turned. How he continued to phase into the wolf even though it meant he didn't age and soon his own son looked older than him.

"Jacob spoke many times to my father – an elder at the time – about why he didn't stop phasing. Jacob replied that he was waiting for his soul mate. A maiden whose strength would rival that of his deceased wife and together they would bolster the tribe in a time when our very future was at risk."

"But how do you know he's still alive?" Ephraim asked quietly.

"I know because every spring when the dogwood flowers bloom then he returns to the village. Many young women have seen a large russet wolf that doesn't show the fear that a wolf normally has toward us. All of them describe the same thing – a sensation of being watched and when they turn the wolf is there. It does nothing other than sit on its haunches – its brown eyes lit with intelligence and knowing. This has occurred every year since the spring after your birth."

"What is he looking for?"

"For her – the one who will give the wolf and man peace allowing them to return to a human existence."

"But…how…" Ephraim paused, his seven year mind trying to form the question he wanted answered. "How will he know?"

"When he gazes into her eyes – together they will feel only what Taha Aki has experienced. He is the only one to feel the power of an imprint. The binding of two souls that have been searching for each other through the course of time – some believe that the joining of Jacob and his mate will be Taha Aki and the third wife's souls meeting again. Both of them wiser and stronger so that they can share the life they were denied by the arrival of the cold ones."

She couldn't believe her luck, or lack of it. Her life was in tatters. Her boyfriend and best friend were shacking up together. One moment she had been eagerly planning her future – a future that seemed so bright and in reach. The next she was being dumped by Sam – the boy she had dated since her freshman year in high school.

She hadn't known about the depths of Emily's betrayal until after her cousin's accident. A bear attack in the woods. Emily was permanently disfigured by the angry marks on her face and arm. It was sitting at the girl's bedside, the girl she had always thought of as a sister and friend that she discovered how easily she had been duped.

The lies had slipped from Emily's tongue so easily, but under the influence of blood loss, fatigue, and pain medications – Leah learned the truth. "Sam – I need you," Emily softly whispered.

In that moment her heart shattered completely. There was no reason to stay at Emily's bedside. No reason to try and mend their friendship, which had suffered because of Sam. She wanted to run – to leave and hide herself away from the world.

She left Emily's room without a single glance backward. She strode down the hallway and not even her mom's voice calling her name caused her to pause. She kept going and when she reached her car, she got in and drove. There wasn't a destination in mind only she needed to get away.

The urge so strong and tenacious, later she would wonder if it was really her that felt that way or if it was something else; something pulling her. She put miles between Emily and Sam, driving with no direction other than the tiny voice in her head that seemed to lead the way. A similar feeling overcame her, prompting her to stop and she listened.

Pulling her car over, she glanced at the small rest area. It wasn't a familiar place to her, but a wooden sign captured her attention. When she got out of her car, she read the sign and realized it was a place that tourists most likely stopped at to hike in the forest. Perhaps, a quiet walk in nature would help to calm her racing thoughts.

She grabbed a bottle of water and cellphone from the car along with her purse. The latter she locked in the trunk and locked the doors to her car before setting off. Her steps automatic as she followed the dirt trail; the daylight growing dim as it wasn't strong enough to penetrate the lush growth of trees.

Soon, her mind was no longer on Emily or Sam – their recent betrayal and the overwhelming lack of trust she felt. It was on the beauty of the forest – the sights and sounds. An overwhelming sense of peace replaced her earlier turmoil.

She wasn't sure how long she had been walking for when she got tired. Through the trees she noticed a small clearing and figured it would be a good place to rest. A fallen tree seemed to be placed especially in anticipation of her. As she sat down, she contemplated her future. What she wanted now that Sam wasn't part of it.

The air crackled with energy. His preternatural senses felt heightened; his fur standing on end. Something told him that there was going to be a big change in his life. His stuttering heart throbbed to life, pounding with a force it hadn't in over a century.

He ran through the forest, feeling an undeniable pull to something, or someone. His nose caught a delicate scent before his eyes spied her. She smelled like all the things he remembered from his human life. The comfort of his mother's arms, the strength of his father, the embrace of his lover, and joy of his children.

A heady mix of wildflowers and pine with a touch of salt; each reminding him of the village he had left. The ocean he now only saw from a distance and the forest that had become his home. The place where he had exiled himself when he realized what lay in the future of his grandson.

Every spring, it was a ritual. He would return to the land of his people and he would gaze into the young maidens' eyes. The white flowers of the dogwoods were fully bloomed. Every year, he had returned to the forest, disappointed and questioning the folly of his decision to follow the wolf.

His pace slowed as he edged closer. She was young and dressed in clothing that was much different from the garb maidens wore when he was a young man. A tunic with bright colors covered her upper body, the sleeves short and exposing her toned arms. Her legs were wrapped in blue pants that hugged the curves of her body. Her feet clad in a pair of white shoes.

Her hair was long, reaching the middle of her back. She wore it free and the thought of running his fingers through it was compelling on a multitude of levels. The jet black strands seemed to sparkle in the midday sun that peeked through the trees.

In her fingers was a wild daisy and he watched in fascination as she twirled it. Her gaze focused so intently on it that he was unable to see her features completely. All he got was a glimpse of high cheekbones and plump rose-colored lips.

He was so engrossed in her that he miss-stepped, cracking a tree branch with his paw. The branch snapped, making a loud popping noise that echoed through the forest. He froze as her head jerked up.

Her eyes searched the forest, looking for danger. Strangely, he didn't scent any fear coming from her. A fire lit in her dark eyes as she called out, "I know someone's out there. It's not funny. Show yourself."

How?! How could she sense him when he was still yards away from her? She didn't have the enhanced senses he did. It was illogical.

He remained still, refusing to move a muscle. His breathing slow and even though it still sounded loud and raspy to his ears. He willed his heart to stop pounding so loudly. The echo of it in his ears was deafening.

Leah stood. She wasn't sure who was out there, but she didn't appreciate being spied on. It made her think of the scrutiny she was already under because of her and Sam's recent break-up. There was nothing worse than being a member of a small community and having parents that were active members.

He waited, frozen in place as she glance to and fro, her eyes skimming over the place where he was hidden several times. Moments later, her eyes locked on the bushy overgrowth that he was behind. He swore he could feel her gaze burning a hole into him.

A fierce scowl set on her features. A look that should scare or displease him, but instead, his fascination increased ten-fold. Desire rushing through his veins – how he ached to phase human and claim her, but the wolf held him back.

His heart stuttered as she began to walk toward him. Her voice strong, not a single tenor of anxiety lacing her words, "This is childish. You might as well come out now. I'm on to you."

He stood motionless. Her slow, calculated advance to his hiding spot was that of a predator and he was her prey. This small slip of a girl who he couldn't look away from – his body and mind focused singularly on her.

She moved closer, her hands reached out to move the thick brush out of her path. Her heart pounded in her chest, her lungs heaved with effort; sweat trickled down her back. Her stomach twisted in knots. She felt every fiber of her being tense – readying itself for action.

The beauty of the day was overcome by the murky gloom of the forest. The shadows became darker and more menacing. Her footsteps snapped twigs and crunched leaves in her path, but the sound wasn't heard by her ears. She was too focused on the mystery of what was just beyond her gaze.

At first, she didn't realize what was in front of her. Her eyes still unclear and unseeing in the darkness and even when her vision cleared, her mind wasn't able to comprehend it. The russet-colored wolf that stood in front of her was unfathomable. Its size too extreme to be real, prompting her to believe it was a figment of her imagination.

Only when its large head tilted in curiosity, did she realize it was real. Her mind raced, trying to rationalize what she knew to be true. The faintest stirring of a memory tugged her neurons. A legend – a story she remembered her grandfather telling her.

Every year when the white flowers of the dogwood tree bloom, he returns. He looks for the one who will complete him. The third wife's spirit once again in the flesh.

"Holy shit," she exclaimed softly. Her feet attempted to back away and got tangled in the overgrowth of the forest floor and her body fell to the ground. An even softer exhalation left her lips as her ass hit the ground hard.

He heard her heart race faster and saw how her eyes widened. Curiosity and fear wafted from her. He tried to stay still, fighting against his needs and desires, but it was for naught. He moved forward, a purr of pleasure rumbling his chest as his bowed head came within inches of hers.

Her scent was undeniably stronger this close to her. His body lowered further to the ground until he was on his haunches, his head resting on her lap. He had been unsure before, but the moment her hand reached forward and stroked along the back of his head and neck – he knew. This was the mate he had been waiting for.

He wished he could phase, so that he could speak to her and profess all the feelings and emotions he had pent up for years. He wanted to know everything about her. Her dreams and desires – why she had come to the forest – the reason she had looked at that daisy for so long. Why had there been such sadness and longing in her face? Did she feel it too? Had she felt some ever-widening chasm as he had?

The wolf denied his request. The wolf's voice, calm and soothing as it repeated over and over; the words a rhythmic chant, wait, patience, soon. He had waited so long for her that despite his eagerness, he realized the wolf had never steered him wrong. He would wait because he knew what was to come.

Hours passed, the sky darkening and the air grew chilly. He moved, backing away from her. His movements slow, even though there was no longer a need. Her fear of him had long disappeared.

He growled softly, before nudging her with his nose. The trance she had been in was broken. Her dark eyes met his and she smiled softly. His eyes followed her as she stood and brushed her clothes off.

Leah hesitated. She could see how dark the sky had become and feel the chill in the air, but she was loath to leave. She had never felt so safe or protected. Something about this magnificent creature made her feel cherished and loved. It seemed crazy – there was no way that he could feel that way about her – yet she was sure that he did.

He nudged her again; his cold, wet nose brushed her arm. Shivering, she laughed when he made a sound like he was reprimanding her.

"Okay, okay." Amusement tinged her words. "I get it. It's time for me to go before the big, bad, scary animals come out or I can't find my way back."

He nodded and his mouth opened slightly to show his teeth. The expression wasn't scary and she thought, perhaps he was trying to give her a smile. Things were getting crazier by the minute if she thought a wolf could communicate with her. But then again, he hadn't hurt her and he had seemed just as content to lie on her lap. Then there were his eyes; nearly human-like as he gazed at her. As though he understand every word she spoke.

She shook her head to dispel the thought. Her mouth opened and things she hadn't even thought of came out. The words tumbling out with a vengeance and left her no opportunity to pull them back.

"What if I don't want to go back?"

It was exactly what he had been thinking – only he didn't want her to leave. His heart begged him to snatch her up and bring him to his home. His brain protested, telling him to listen to the wolf.

In the end, he compromised. He moved close to her again, his large body pressed against her. She closed her eyes and her hands threaded through his fur. He took the opportunity and his form shimmered, the transition of his body from wolf to man seamless and she was none the wiser.

Her lungs filled with his scent and her body cleaved toward him. He was impossibly warm and large, surrounding and protecting her in a cocoon. His lips as soft as a butterfly's wings as they touched her ear and his voice rough, yet gentle as he whispered to her.

"Quo pat."

The words so soft that she was sure she imagined them. The sound of rustling foliage and pounding paws startled her. When her eyes sprang open he was already gone, leaving her to wonder if she had imagined it all.

The chill in the air grew colder, the shadows became longer, and the eerie sound of a wolf's howl filled the silence. Within moments, she turned and headed back the way she had come. This time she wasn't as careful as she plowed through the overgrowth. Small cuts and scrapes appeared on her arms as she made her way to safety.

Her pace quickened further once she was back on the main path. Her heart thundered in her chest as she strode back to her car, back to civilization. The sun had nearly set over the horizon and the moon was only a small slit; not enough to light her way once the sun had disappeared.

As she broke free of the forest, she began to run. No longer did she feel safe in the forest. The cover of darkness and the loss of him had turned it into a scary place. One that made her think of fairytales and the monsters she imagined lurked in her closet and under her bed. Their sharp teeth and claws waited to grab her and pull her into the darkness.

Faster and faster, her feet pounded a steady staccato on the ground. Her heart doubled and tripled the rhythm of her feet. Her lungs rasped and her side began to burn from effort. The pain threatened to stop her in her tracks, but the glimmer of her car's windshield kept her going.

When she reached her car, she fumbled for her keys. Her hands and fingers tingled; the keys slid to the ground, making a small tinkle as they hit the ground. She bent over and snatched them up and then thrust the key into the lock, unlocking and opening the door in nearly a single motion.

She jumped into the driver's seat and started the car. Her head collapsed on the steering wheel in relief as the rumble of the engine reached her ears. As she sat there waiting to calm down, her mind replayed what she had experienced in the forest.

It was then when her heart stopped trying to beat out of her chest that she realized what he had whispered in her ear. I love you.

Suddenly, she was left with more questions than answers as she realized there had been a moment where her fingers had clutched hair, not fur, as soft as hers. That there had been skin and lips, which left a fiery brand on her; the ghostly remnants of them remained and she knew they wouldn't disappear anytime soon.

FF_10467122_1 06/19/2014 10:31AM